The killer of Owaka schoolgirl Kylie Smith has been legally barred from seeking parole for three years.
Paul Bailey is serving a life sentence for raping and murdering the 15-year-old in South Otago in 1991.
He was denied parole at hearings in 2003, in 2007 and in June this year.
Now, in a rare move, the Parole Board has used the Parole Act to postpone his next hearing until 2013.
The board says Bailey has declined to attend a sex-offenders programme, has done nothing to reduce his risk of reoffending and remains a high risk.
Kylie's father, Bevan Smith, says the family is delighted with the best decision it could have hoped for.
