The man responsible for one of Australia’s most harrowing crimes has passed away. Robert Smith, the stepfather of six-year-old Kiesha Weippeart, died earlier this week, just two years after being released from prison. Smith had served a 12-year sentence for his involvement in the 2010 death of Kiesha, whose tragic story shocked the nation. His death, confirmed by New South Wales Police, is not being treated as suspicious.
Kiesha’s life was cut short in July 2010 after a brutal incident at her home in Hebersham, near Mount Druitt in Sydney’s west. Her mother, Kristi Abrahams, reportedly knocked her unconscious when the child refused to put on her pajamas. Instead of seeking medical help, Abrahams and Smith placed Kiesha in the shower and later put her to bed, where she succumbed to her injuries. For days, her body was concealed in a suitcase inside the house before being taken to nearby bushland in Shalvey. There, Smith doused her remains in petrol and set them alight, attempting to destroy the evidence of their crime.
The couple’s actions following Kiesha’s death were as calculated as they were cruel. Abrahams and Smith reported her missing in August 2010, claiming she had vanished overnight. They even appeared on television, pleading for her safe return and garnering widespread sympathy from the public. Behind the scenes, however, they had already buried her charred remains in a shallow grave. It wasn’t until April 2011, on what would have been Kiesha’s seventh birthday, that police discovered her body and arrested the pair. A post-mortem revealed multiple injuries, including fractures to her head, jaw, and body, painting a grim picture of the abuse she endured.
Smith was convicted in 2013 of manslaughter and being an accessory to murder, while Abrahams received a sentence of at least 16 years for murder. Despite the gravity of his crimes, Smith was released on parole in April 2023 after being deemed a “model inmate” who had participated in rehabilitation programs and expressed remorse. His release was met with mixed reactions, though Kiesha’s family did not oppose it, requesting only that he be barred from certain areas in western Sydney.
Kiesha’s story remains a heartbreaking reminder of the vulnerability of children and the devastating consequences of abuse. Had she lived, she would have turned 21 this April. Her father, Chris Weippeart, passed away in 2012, leaving behind a family forever scarred by her loss. As the details of Smith’s death emerge, the focus remains on Kiesha’s memory and the justice that was never fully served. Her tragic fate continues to resonate, a somber call for vigilance and compassion in protecting the innocent.