5 deaths in 10 days point to a problem Australia wants to solve

The recent series of murders in Australia, where five women were allegedly killed by men they knew within a span of 10 days, has deeply affected Manuela Whitford. “It’s become so commonplace… I hear about it so often that I’ve become numb to it,” she expressed. “Yet, at the same time, I am reminded of the importance of the work I do for those I am able to help.”

Whitford is the founder of Friends with Dignity, a charity based in Brisbane that provides essential items to families escaping domestic violence, helping them settle into emergency accommodation.

The charity primarily assists mothers with children, who often leave their homes with minimal belongings but carry immense fear and uncertainty about their future and how they will manage.

“These women are extremely isolated. They have been systematically made to feel worthless, unworthy, and valueless over years,” Whitford explained from the charity’s warehouse located south of Brisbane.

Situated at the end of an industrial park, the warehouse is filled with household items, toys, and cleaned mattresses, all prepared for distribution to accommodations arranged by welfare agencies.

While the donations aim to support and potentially save lives, the recent headlines in Australia have been dominated by the women who tragically couldn’t escape the violence. The victims in these 10 days include a 21-year-old water polo coach who had reportedly ended a relationship with her alleged killer, and a 65-year-old woman whose husband has been charged with her murder.

These incidents add to a grim national statistic, which, according to Counting Dead Women—a research project by the feminist group Destroy the Joint—has reached 43 so far this year. The group, named after a derogatory remark made in 2012 by an Australian radio host, tracks the number of women killed in the country.

5 dead women

The latest alleged murder case emerged on Monday at the Crown Towers hotel in Perth, Western Australia. Following concerns raised by the family of Alice McShera, a 34-year-old attorney, hotel security found her deceased in a room, WA Police Inspector Geoff DeSanges reported on Tuesday. A 42-year-old man also in the room with self-inflicted injuries was subsequently charged with her murder.

In a separate incident last Sunday, 46-year-old Analyn Osias, also known as Logee, was fatally injured at a residence in Kangaroo Flats, as stated by Victoria Police. A man aged 44 has been accused of her murder.

Earlier, Lilie James, a 21-year-old water polo coach, was discovered dead with head injuries in a Sydney school’s gym toilet, per New South Wales Police. Her 24-year-old ex-partner was later found dead at the base of a cliff, suspected of taking his own life.

In the same week, 65-year-old Thi Thuy Huong Nguyen was found fatally stabbed in her kitchen in Canberra, as reported by ACT Policing. Her 70-year-old husband, also injured, appeared in court from his hospital bed to face murder charges.

Two days before this, South Australian Police found the body of 38-year-old Krystal Marshall in her burned home. A 48-year-old man was later charged with her murder. Since 2012, when Counting Dead Women began recording these incidents, the annual count of women killed by violence in Australia has fluctuated between 43 and 84.

Manuela Whitford founded Friends with Dignity that same year. She has observed changes in societal and police responses to domestic violence. “It’s about believing and listening to the victim,” she noted.

Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) indicates that the percentage of Australian women experiencing domestic violence from a partner in the previous year decreased from 1.7% in 2016 to 0.9% in 2021-22.

Nonetheless, the 2021 National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) revealed that 23% view domestic violence as a normal response to daily stress, and 91% recognize it as a problem in Australia.

A national plan

There have been ongoing appeals to the government for action, leading to the launch of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 last year.

The initial phase of this plan, the First Action Plan 2023-2027, was unveiled in August, with a primary focus on promoting gender equality.

Despite Australia’s status as a modern and affluent nation, the United Nations points out that sexist attitudes still prevail in a society where women engage in more unpaid domestic labor and earn less over their lifetimes than men.

Men continue to hold the majority of leadership roles in boardrooms and other positions of power, including in Parliament. Australia has had only one female prime minister, Julia Gillard, who is known for her powerful speech on misogyny that has gained widespread attention on social media.

A 2022 study by the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, now led by Gillard, revealed that Australian men are more tolerant of misogynistic comments online compared to the global average. The First Action Plan allocates 3.5 million Australian dollars ($2.24 million) for a three-year trial of the healthy masculinities project, aiming to counteract harmful social media influences on men and boys.

Although not directly mentioned in the government’s announcement, experts often refer to Andrew Tate, a controversial internet figure facing trial in Romania for human trafficking and rape, as an example of the type of negative influence targeted by these efforts.

Andrew Lines, with over two decades of experience, works against such misogynistic messaging through “The Rite Journey.” This program collaborates with schools in Australia, New Zealand, and beyond to guide students towards positive role models.

Lines observes the increasing challenge of combating the negative influences children encounter on their cellphones, ranging from disrespectful comments to explicit content.

He notes a shift in family dynamics and parenting styles, with some men becoming more involved in parenting than previous generations. However, he also cautions against overparenting, stressing the importance of children learning to cope with failure and rejection.

As these societal changes take time, regional authorities are enhancing their approaches to domestic violence. In July, NSW Police introduced the nation’s first Domestic and Family Violence Registry to track repeat offenders, and the WA government recently proposed the use of electronic monitoring for more perpetrators.

As long as significant societal changes are pending, individuals like Manuela Whitford from Friends with Dignity continue to offer support to those impacted.

Each Tuesday, the charity’s warehouse becomes a hub of activity as volunteers congregate to put together personal care packages and fulfill requests from agencies for individuals in need. Additionally, corporations are participating by involving their employees in these efforts as part of corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Due to a shortage of housing, the availability of apartments for the charity to equip has decreased. As a result, they are now focusing on providing vital items to women who are unable to leave violent domestic situations.

Whitford emphasizes the importance of community collaboration in preventing further instances of domestic violence. She notes that many hesitate to inquire about someone’s well-being, uncertain of how to respond to the answer. Her advice is to become informed and aware of the resources available locally.