Keli Lane’s secret daughter has spoken out for the first time, saying she is the “forgotten victim” in her mother’s conviction.
Ms Lane, a former elite water polo player, was convicted in 2010 after a jury found her guilty of murdering her newborn daughter Tegan in 1996.
Ms Lane always maintained that she gave Tegan to the child’s biological father but neither have ever been found.
Born five years after baby Tegan vanished, the daughter Ms Lane kept said her mother dropped her off at school, then “never came home”.
“I was only 9 years old,” she said in a statement read out on A Current Affair.
“For the past 16 years, I’ve grown up without my mum being part of my everyday life.”
Ms Lane’s daughter, who is now 25, did not reveal her identity but has spoken out now because a law in NSW is stopping her mother from being released.
Ms Lane has since served her minimum sentence but in 2024 she became the first prisoner in New South Wales denied release under NSW’s “No Body, No Parole” laws.
The law was introduced in New South Wales in 2022 after the high profile Teacher’s Pet case, which saw Chris Dawson convicted over the murder of his wife, Lynette.
It means it’s now impossible for captive murderers to be released on parole, unless they reveal where their victims’ bodies are.
Ms Lane daughter said: “The no body, no parole law, was rushed through parliament to address the understandable needs of another grieving family.
“However, that law has been applied to my mum’s case without proper consideration of her individual circumstances, or the fact that she was only weeks away from completing her minimum sentence.
“Throughout all of this, very few people have considered how these decisions have affected me. I am a forgotten victim in this situation.”
She added: “My hope is simple: that my mum can come home and that I can spend meaningful time with her.”
Ms Lane’s long term partner Patrick Cogan also spoke out on the show against the parole laws. He’s been with his girlfriend for 17 years, for 16 of those, she’s been behind bars.
“Whether you think Keli did it or didn’t do it, she served her time,” he said.
“She’s a daughter to elderly parents who, at this point, were expecting her home a couple of years ago and Keli desperately wants to spend time with them before they pass on.
“[She’s] a woman who’s primarily a mother – a dedicated and caring mother – and has done a fantastic job with her daughter… that’s the girl I know.”
Mr Cogan believes that Tegan, who would be 30 now, will be found one day and prove Ms Lane’s innocence.
“[Keli] more than believes it. She’s obviously hoping it happens as soon as possible,” he said.
Mr Cogan claimed that over the years they have tried to find Tegan and two years ago they thought they got extremely close.
“We thought we had found Tegan,”he said.
“This person – everything ticked boxes. Right age, the look was uncanny, and we were right down to DNA situations… but it wasn’t [Tegan].”
Ms Lane’s daughter simply wants her to be released so she can spend more time with her.
“My mum is not a risk to anyone,” she said.
“She is loved, she is wanted by her friends and family, and I love her deeply.”