August M
A quiet Australian neighbourhood has been shaken by revelations about a resident’s past, prompting questions about how communities learn who is living among them. The case has revived debate about public safety, offender monitoring and the limits of disclosure.
The Express reports that neighbours were stunned to learn the background of a woman they believed they knew well.
A violent past
Helen Patricia Moore grew up in Sydney’s southwest and was known within her family as deeply troubled from a young age, according to reporting by News.com.au. Her brother Craig Moorley told 9News A Current Affair that living with her was “horrific” and described his childhood as a “nightmare.”
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “She is still babysitting. People don’t know what she did and they deserve to because she is evil.
“She is Australia’s worst female serial killer and just going about her life having kids at her house for sleepovers.”
Deaths and suspicion
Between 1979 and 1980, several infants and young children died or were seriously harmed while under Moore’s care. Some deaths were initially attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, while other children survived but suffered lasting injuries.
According to court findings later reported in the media, suspicions only crystallised after the death of an older child in the family home. Police investigations followed, and Moore ultimately confessed to killing three children and attempting to murder two others.
Trial and release
Moore was convicted on three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. She initially received three life sentences, plus an additional 20 years.
That punishment was later reduced on review, and she was released back into the community after serving almost 14 years in custody. Media coverage at the time dubbed her the “babysitter killer,” a label that has persisted for decades.
Living quietly
Now aged 63, Moore has changed her surname to Anderson and lives on the NSW Central Coast, around 100 metres from a daycare centre, according to The Express.
One woman, speaking anonymously, said she had allowed Moore to care for her children and grandchildren. “We were always at each other’s houses… she was my best friend,” she said.
When approached by A Current Affair, Moore denied caring for children, saying: “No, I don’t. I have had a stroke. I have seizures. I’m not babysitting.”
Ongoing questions
Moore’s parole ended in 2005. She was placed on the state’s Child Protection Register in 2015 after advocacy by her brother, though it is unclear whether she remains listed due to confidentiality rules.
The case, as framed by The Express, has reignited concerns about how much communities are told and whether existing safeguards go far enough.
Sources: The Express, News.com.au, Daily Mail, 9News
