More than one in three Australians—37 per cent—say they would support bringing back the death penalty. But supporting an execution in principle is very different from carrying one out.In today’s From the Desk, Adam asks the uncomfortable question: if the state is permitted to take a life in our name, who must bear the burden of actually doing it? Would those demanding the ultimate punishment be prepared to enter the execution chamber, carry out the sentence—and live with having taken another person’s life?

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He was dubbed the “Wolf of Whiteman Street," a Crown Casino high roller whose extravagant lifestyle allegedly included lavish parties, VIP treatment, and extraordinary spending.

But behind the glamour, police allege Sy Giang Nguyen was funding his lifestyle through a multimillion-dollar fraud against the charity where he worked. Nguyen is facing hundreds of charges, and the allegations remain before the courts.

Herald Sun senior reporter Seb Costello joins Adam Shand to unravel the extraordinary story of Nguyen’s rise, the world he inhabited, and the allegations that brought it crashing down.

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Ralph Carr was sentenced to six years in prison, with a four-year non-parole period, for two rapes and a sexual assault. For many, the punishment feels profoundly inadequate.

In this edition of From the Desk, Adam Shand examines why the judge could not sentence according to public anger alone—and how precedent, proportionality, comparable cases and Carr’s personal circumstances shaped the result. He also asks what could happen if other complainants came forward and Carr were convicted of further offences. Could a new sentence keep him behind bars for considerably longer?

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Alistair Farquhar "Sandy" MacRae is a quadruple convicted murderer who killed without mercy. At 77, MacRae is eligible for parole after completing his jail sentence in South Australia but questions remain whether he killed other people, including women who worked in massage parlours in Melbourne in the 1970s. Former Victoria Police assistant commissioner Noel Ashby dealt with MacRae and tells Adam Shand he might have got away with several other murders and should not be released, despite finishing his jail time and his advanced age. 

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Australian Simon Carman is facing the possibility of the death penalty over the alleged murder of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla in Thailand. Sydney lawyer Tony Taouk joins Adam Shand to examine the case, explain how the Thai legal system operates and assess whether a death sentence is likely to be imposed—and, crucially, whether it would ever be carried out.

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In this bonus epsiode From the Desk Adam asks the question. Australia is getting tougher on youth crime — longer sentences, stricter bail laws and “adult time for adult crime.” But with youth detention costing more than $1 billion a year and around 85% of young offenders returning to the system, is locking kids up really making us safer? Adam Shand looks at the disturbing crimes driving public anger, the teenagers being recruited by organised crime, and why tougher punishment alone may be failing to stop the next generation of offenders.

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Former Australian Federal Police commander Glen McEwen spent 35 years confronting organised crime, terrorism and international crises. His new book, Crime, Chaos and Controversy, takes readers behind the scenes of operations including the Bali bombings and the dramatic Thai cave rescue. Glen joins Adam Shand to reveal what happens when police must make life-and-death decisions amid uncertainty—and the personal cost of leading when the world is watching.

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Recent arrests in Melbourne of individuals alleged to be connected to offshore organised crime bosses have raised hopes police may be turning the tide on the arson campaign that has beset Melbourne. Adam talks with Detective Inspector Graham Banks of Victoria Police’s Eclipse taskforce.

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The Northern Territory’s homicide rate is more than five times the national rate, while communities including Alice Springs and Katherine experience extraordinary levels of assault and domestic violence. Adam Shand draws on his own experience working in Nhulunbuy more than 40 years ago to examine the role of alcohol, disadvantage and intergenerational trauma — and asks the question: after decades of interventions and promises, what has actually been proven to reduce the violence?

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For 25 years, former NSW prison officer Simone Patterson lived with the consequences of sexual harassment and assault by a male colleague. Then she decided to pursue justice — and succeeded. Simone joins Adam Shand to explain why she waited, what it took to go to court, and what finally being heard meant to her.

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In the 1970s, Peter Vaitos was one of Australia’s most notorious sexual predators, known as the “Silver Gun Rapist.”

But behind the headlines, the crimes and the prison sentence was a family forced to live with what he had done.

In this episode of Adam Shand, talks with Vaitos’ daughter, Stacey, about growing up with a father capable of terrible crimes, the moment she began to understand who he really was, and the impact his offending had on her life and her family.

It’s a deeply personal conversation about shame, forgiveness, loyalty, anger and the difficult truth that the families of offenders can become victims too.

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