After 1,700 women were murdered by an intimate partner in the last 34 years & 8 months up to March 2024, finally an Australian Government creates an accessible public record of such deaths

For the last 34 years and 8 months an average 4 women a month have been murdered by a current or former intimate partner.

Finally an Australian federal government has moved to make an easily accessible public record of such deaths. 

In large measure as a response to women from Destroy The Joint who, by a sustained monthly recording of all females mentioned in the media after dying a violent death from September 2012 onwards, kept a spotlight on the issue of lethal violence against women and girls.

Counting Dead Women 
a Destroy the Joint project

Eight women were killed in June alone, three in as many days and 17 more women have been killed than at this same time last year. [ABC News, 1 July 2024]

NSW Police News:

UPDATE:Fatal house fire - Lalor Park

Sunday, 07 July 2024 05:11:32 AM

A man is in custody following a fatal house fire in Sydney’s west.

About 1am today (Sunday 7 July 2024), emergency services were called to Freeman Street, Lalor Park, following reports of a house fire.

On arrival of emergency services, one nine-year-old girl and three boys aged eleven, seven and six were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance Paramedics and taken to Westmead hospital in stable condition.

Two boys – aged two and four – were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics and taken to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition; however, they died a short time later.

Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished the fire before a third child – believed to be a 10-month-old girl – was found deceased.

The three children are yet to be formally identified.

A 29-year-old woman has been taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

Officers attached to Blacktown Police Area Command arrested 28-year-old man at the scene; he was treated for smoke inhalation and taken to hospital under police guard.

Police have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages. [My yellow highlighting in article]

Det Supt Danny Doherty described the circumstances as “incredibly tragic”. He alleged that a 28-year-old man arrested at the scene attempted to prevent police and emergency services from rescuing those inside the home. The man is the father of the deceased children, police confirmed. [The Guardian, 7 July 2024]

Homicide in Australia

Intimate partner homicide dashboard (data commencing 1 January 2024 & updated quarterly) can be found at:

https://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/homicide-in-australia

Sadly the first violent death of a woman in 2023 recorded by the Counting Dead Women project occurred in Ballina, Northern NSW

 

Counting Dead Women

@DeadWomenAus

A research project of Destroy The Joint

NSW Police, Latest News:

Man arrested after body of woman located - Ballina

Wednesday, 04 January 2023 11:39:36 AM

A man has been arrested after the body of a woman was located in the state’s north overnight.

About 12.30am (Wednesday 4 January 2022), a man attended Ballina Police Station and reported a welfare concern for a woman known to him.

Officers from Richmond Police District attended Holden Lane, near Cherry Street, Ballina, and located the body of a woman.

She is yet to be formally identified but is believed to be aged 64.

The man – aged 66 – was arrested at the police station, where he remains in custody.

Local detectives, with assistance from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, have commenced an investigation into the woman’s death under Strike Force Blaikie.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

ABC News, 5 January 2022:

A man accused of murdering his partner in northern New South Wales was already on bail for assault, a court has heard.

Robert Karl Huber, 66, did not apply for bail when he appeared in Tweed Heads Local Court this morning charged with murder and breaching an apprehended domestic violence order.

It is alleged Mr Huber killed his partner, Lindy Lucena, 64, on Tuesday evening before attending the Ballina Police Station at about 12.30am to speak to police.

He then allegedly led officers to a laneway next to the Salvation Army where her body was found.

Today, the court heard Mr Huber had been granted bail just days before the alleged murder after being charged with several violent offences, including common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Richmond Police District Commander Superintendent Scott Tanner yesterday said police were treating her death as a case of domestic violence.

"It's a matter where these people were in a relationship, and that's how we will be alleging," he said…..