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A notorious child killer is making a bid for freedom - but his victim's mother says he must remain behind bars for the sake of other children.
Peter Joseph Holdem, 53, will go before the Parole Board in the next few days.
It is 21 years since he abducted 6-year-old Louisa Damodran from a Christchurch street as she walked home from school, allegedly molested her, gagged her and threw her into a river, where she drowned.
Holdem already had a history of sexual offending against children.
When he abducted and killed Louisa he had just been released from prison for the attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl.
Louisa's mother, Aynsley Harwood, told the Herald Holdem was driven to hurt children and prison was the only place for him.
"He will just have to stay there, otherwise children are in danger. It's the responsibility of every New Zealander to make sure people like Peter Holdem don't go around hurting children. I personally feel Louisa would have wanted to protect other children."
Ms Harwood said she still thought about Louisa every day, and wrote about her in journals for her grandchildren.
"She's still part of the family."
Former police detective inspector Mal Griebel recently told the Christchurch Star: "I am absolutely convinced [Holdem] will kill again if released.
"He is a cold, calculating killer".
When Holdem last appeared before the Parole Board seeking his freedom in September 2004, he was declined because he continued to pose a high risk to the community and was resisting treatment.
A psychologist's report said: "It is suggested that Mr Holdem's very high risk of reoffending, combined with his limited ability to benefit from treatment, indicates that the only current effective means of ensuring the safety of the community is through incarceration."
