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In 2004 Fiona Barnett requested an investigation into the NSW Education Department’s mishandling of abuse concerning Gary Willis over a 14-year period. The complaint letters were signed by a large group of concerned parents, and they were accompanied by copies of numerous witness statements. A former teacher aide and Fiona collected signed letters from witnesses, including letters of complaint written up to 14 years prior. Former child victims, now in their 30s, themselves wrote some of these letters. Other victims, including disabled and illiterate witnesses, dictated and signed letters.

Approximately 30 concerned parents signed various letters of complaint that were posted to Prime Minister John Howard, Bob Carr (NSW premier), Brendan Nelson (Federal education minister), Jenny Macklin (Federal Opposition education spokesperson), Andrew Refshauge (NSW minister for education), Jillian Skinner (NSW Opposition education spokesperson), and the NSW Ombudsman.

She approached Tweed Heads Police detectives Josh Burton and Murray Baker, who said that Gary Willis was known by the justice system with regards to child abuse allegations, and that DOCS involvement was mentioned onscreen. Detective Baker said that he put an Intel report into crime manager regarding the information and he expressed concern over possible corruption within the Education Department. He stated that Willis had never been charged with anything. He said that one complaint had been in the system from about 8 to 9 years ago, that it had not been substantiated. He told her that certain complaints she knew had been made to police did not appear on the screen under Gary Willis’ name.

Bob Sullivan phoned witness whose daughter had been sexually assaulted by teachers Gary Willis and Steve Tyler at the East Murwillumbah Primary School. Bob Sullivan said those efforts were a waste of time and they wouldn’t get anywhere. He also said DM should think hard about pursuing a complaint against Gary Willis because it would go nowhere, since victim was disabled. Bob Sullivan also insisted that the victim be interviewed at the Tweed Heads police station instead of at her local Brisbane sex crimes unit. Bob Sullivan did not ask for further information or clarification of existing information. Bob Sullivan left her with an overall feeling that there was no point to pursuing the complaint against Gary Willis and that the policeman had been trying to talk her out of pursuing the matter.

In November, 2004, Fiona also received a phone call from Inspector Bob Sullivan. He criticised victims, parents and witnesses for expecting Fiona, an activist, to help them. He described the serial paedophile Gary Willis as a “poor bloke” and the victim of a “witch hunt”. He said there was no such thing as justice, and that achieving justice in this matter was not the aim of the police.

He said that NSW police have no record of any complaints against Gary Willis made by victims. When Fiona challenged this by saying that two Tweed Heads detectives had told her the opposite, Inspector Sullivan contradicted himself by saying that police had investigated a number of complaints against Gary Willis, but that none of these had been substantiated. Then, he contradicted himself again, saying: “action was taken in 1993”.

He said there was no evidence of child abuse — just “innuendo and rumour”. He said police were certainly not interested in the "minor assaults" listed. He stated that he was immediately returning the file to the Education Department and closing the investigation, without contacting any other people or witnesses named in the file.

Parents complained to the NSW Ombudsman concerning the NSW police's refusal to investigate the alleged Tweed Shire paedophile ring. Eventually, Detective Sergeant Brett Greentree of Tweed Heads Police station had been assigned to investigate Gary Willis and that witnesses were to contact him and make formal statements at the Tweed Heads police station.

However, when contacting police, an officer called Melissa Williams told her that no JIRT police officer was trained to interview intellectually disabled people. She also stated that JIRT refused to interview the three disabled witnesses because they were now adults.

To the knowledge of victims and concerned parents, NSW police never investigated those complaints, Gary Willis was never charged with any of the reported crimes and victims were never given the chance to claim compensation for their child abuse experiences.

Following Fiona's whistle blowing efforts against the paedophile ring in the Tweed Shire, she came under increasing threat from parents, the local police force and various government authorities. Her telephone provider informed that her phone was tapped. Two other whistleblowing parents complained that their phones had been bugged also.

The P&C police officer issued Fiona a hefty parking fine for something which, as her daughter’s teacher testified in writing, she simply did not do.

The RSPCA turned up at her house following a false report of pet neglect. A health and safety officer turned up at my house following a false report that my builder was using a ramset gun while unlicensed.

Then police turned up at her house following a false report that there was a stolen vehicle parked in her garage. On several occasions, Tweed Heads police drove slowly by my house, glaring menacingly at her.

Eventually her dog was dragged beneath her fence and killed, and her pet chickens and ducks were also found slaughtered.