FAMILY’S PLEA TO BURY DAUGHTER

THE parents of schoolgirl Rachel Antonio want Robert Hytch to reveal where he hid her body, after the Supreme Court found a coroner was right in finding there was convincing evidence he killed her 20 years ago.

The court yesterday ruled a coroner had been correct in determining Hytch was the killer – and that he had lied when he denied being in a relationship with the 15year- old.

Rachel disappeared in Bowen on Anzac Day, 1998. She had asked her mother to take her to the Queens Beach cinema but instead of seeing a movie, Rachel walked down to the beach where she told people she was meeting her boyfriend.

At the same time, Hytch left his brother’s birthday party, saying he was going out to hire a video.

When he came back, he appeared “slightly agitated” and was not wearing a shirt.

Hytch was later arrested and found guilty of manslaughter. But the conviction was overturned and a new trial ordered. A second jury acquitted him.

At an inquest, held in 2014 and 2015, Coroner David O’Connell was able to consider evidence not presented at trial – significantly, a diary and letters written by Rachel in which she detailed her intimate relationship with the older surf lifesaver.

Mr O’Connell found that Hytch had killed Rachel during a violent confrontation, the schoolgirl having planned to come clean that night about a pregnancy ruse.

Hytch appealed the coroner’s findings via a judicial review but the Supreme Court yesterday dismissed his application, agreeing that he had killed Rachel.

“( The coroner’s) finding was based upon a detailed analysis of a large body of circumstantial evidence,” Justice Peter Applegarth said.

“It was open to the coroner to find that, shortly after the meeting, ( Hytch) caused a fatal injury to Ms Antonio. Other possibilities which might explain her disappearance and death were either fanciful or not supported by … evidence.”

The decision leaves the Director of Public Prosecutions in a position to consider laying a perjury charge against Hytch, as recommended by the coroner.

Rachel’s mother Cheryl said she and her husband Ian would like to see Hytch charged with perjury.

“Ian and I are glad it went this way and so is the rest of the family,” she said.

“What I’d really like is for him to let us know where she is. But I think he has to pay for what he did to Rachel.”