Sarah Ristevski reveals why she still supports her convicted father Borce
Sarah Ristevski has spoken publicly for the first time since her father Borce was imprisoned for the murder of her mother Karen.
Speaking to Liz Hayes on 60 Minutes, Sarah said she asked her father whether he had been involved in the 2016 death of his wife.
“I asked him. I asked if he’d had anything to do with it,” the 24-year-old said. “He said ‘no’.”
Sarah said she could not comprehend her father’s decision to enter a guilty plea after maintaining he had nothing to do with his wife’s death for three years.
“Even though he’s pleaded guilty I find it hard to comprehend that he is guilty,” Sarah said.
“He’s my father. I have one parent left... I loved him before, I love him now and I’ll love him in 11 years when he’s home.
“I don’t know what to believe. I don’t know. I just hate thinking about what’s happened and I’d rather think about the better times.
“I think it’s tiring. I just feel like I can’t move forward if I’m stuck in the past. I think I’m not emotionally ready to be there.”
The body of Karen Ristevski was found in a bushland north of Melbourne in January 2017, eight months after she was reported missing from the couple’s Avondale Heights home.
Last year, Borce pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 13 years in prison with a non-parole period of 10 years.
Borce has never disclosed how or why he killed his wife of 27 years.
Prior to Borce’s sentencing, Sarah submitted a letter of reference in favour of her father describing him as “loving”, “sympathetic” and “protective”.