We count every known death due to violence against women in Australia:
44 by December 31.
If you are using the research from this project, please credit the work of the researchers who do this heartbreaking and difficult work. They are the Counting Dead Women Australia researchers of Destroy The Joint. Thank you.
Destroy The Joint and Counting Dead Women Australia also thank the many journalists in Australia who continue to report responsibly on the epidemic of violence against women and whose work is used here as reference.
Our register for 2021 now stands at 44.
44
December 25: At about 1.30pm police and emergency services were called to a home in Mornington, Hobart, following a report that a woman had suffered a knife attack. On arrival they found Rachel Wake (52) with serious injuries to her upper body. She was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital but despite all efforts died a short time later. Her ex-husband Darren Wake (60) was taken into custody at the scene and has pleaded guilty to murder. Ms Wake's two teenage children who were present at the time of the attack were not physically injured. No further information is known at present. http://tinyurl.com/2ckvcea3 https://tinyurl.com/yhtu2nut TAS
43
December 06: Emergency services were called to the Everton Caravan and Tourist Park near Wangarratta at about 7.20pm after receiving reports a woman had been fatally injured. Ambulance crews were unable to revive Carmen Niklaus (40). Her ex-partner Ricky Williams (43) was taken into custody and charged with murder. In May 2023 he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment. https://tinyurl.com/5dyfvy3w https://tinyurl.com/4m3e9f4z VIC
42 December 05: At about 7.20pm police and ambulance services were called to Roosevelt Avenue in Riverwood, where they found Lydia Gacuma (67) with multiple stab wounds to her torso and back. Ms Gacuma was described as having impaired mobility and was using a walking frame to walk from shops to her home. Despite all efforts she died at the scene, on the street. After a short search of the area police arrested Mahmoud Eleter (24) at a nearby home and charged him with murder. In August 2023 he was found not criminally responsible diue to mental impairment. No further information is available at present. https://tinyurl.com/htxkcbkz https://tinyurl.com/2p85ex55 NSW
41
November 30: At about 5pm on Saturday November 27th police were called to an apartment in Southport, Queensland, after reports of a disturbance. Mary Benedito (25) was found unresponsive inside the apartment and was transported to ICU with critical injuries. Her 11-month-old son was found to be missing. On Sunday Reo Te Whetu Marama Marsh (34), ex-partner of Ms Benedito and father of the abducted child, was arrested and ‘associates’ of Marsh handed the child over to authorities, physically unharmed. On Monday Marsh was charged with one count of grievous bodily harm and one of strangulation, and was remanded in custody. Overnight, on November 30th, Ms Benedito died in hospital despite best efforts of staff. Police have today upgraded Marsh's charge to murder. https://tinyurl.com/47a3vpcb QLD
40
November 17: At about 1.50pm police were called to a home in Deniliquin. There they found Jody James (42) who had sustained significant head injuries before being set on fire. Despite all efforts she died at the scene. Her brother Jason Patterson (31) was arrested at the scene and charged with murder (DV). In April 2024 he was found not criminally responsible and detained under the mental health act. No further information is available at present. https://tinyurl.com/9tvtptnm https://tinyurl.com/56439vbh NSW
39
November 7: At 11pm on Friday November 5th, emergency services were called to a house fire at the Hidden Valley Town Camp near Alice Springs. At the scene Ms Haywood (34) and her partner Kumanjayi Dixon (36) were found to have suffered severe burn injuries and were taken to Alice Springs Hospital in a serious condition. On Sunday November 7th Ms Haywood died from her injuries. Kumanjayi Dixonwas transferred to Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he died before charges could be laid. No further details are known at present. https://tinyurl.com/d26hwbp9 NT
38
October 9: Ms Waterloo (31) was last seen at Kununurra in the company of Warrick Walkerbear (27). She was reported missing by her family about two weeks later and her body was found in bushland outside Kununurra on October 24th. Walkerbear was taken into custody but escaped on October 26th. Recaptured on November 2nd, he was charged with Ms Waterloo’s murder. In January 2023 he pleaded not guilty. The charge was later downgraded to manslaughter, to which he pleaded guilty. In November 2023 he was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment. https://tinyurl.com/y8mzm8wv https://tinyurl.com/3uvjutrp WA
37
October 9: At 7.30pm emergency services were called to a home in Bayswater North, a suburb of Melbourne. Inside they found Michelle Darragh (32) and her ex-partner Ben Coman (29) with life-threatening injuries. Despite all efforts, Ms Darragh died at the scene. Ms Darragh was reported to be visiting the house to collect some possessions after the couple’s recent separation. She was also reported to be several weeks pregnant with her third child. In March 2023 Conan was sentenced to 25 years for Ms Darragh’s murder. https://tinyurl.com/3wjx5myx https://tinyurl.com/4xjfxv2x VIC
October 3: At 6pm on October 4th police were called to a home in Dayton where they found the body of Janet Dweh (36), who they believe was killed the previous day. Reports indicate that the alarm was raised by Ms Dweh’s brother who was worried after she failed to attend a family gathering. Ms Dweh was 8 months pregnant with her fourth child. Hassan Jabbie (50), the father of the unborn child, was found guilty of her murder in June 2024. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-13/hassan-jabbie-found-guilty-of-murdering-janet-dweh/103965782 https://tinyurl.com/2b9cen2a WA
35
September 30: Emergency services were called to a home in Noble Park at about 2am after reports of a stabbing. A woman (26), who is yet to be formally identified, was found with life-threatening injuries, and taken to hospital where she later died of her wounds. An unnamed man (37) believed known to the woman was arrested at the scene and has been charged with murder. Nothing further is known at present. https://tinyurl.com/k7d62vkw VIC
34
September 24: At about 8:15am police were called to a home in Capel, a small town about 200 km south of Perth. There they found the bodies of Bernice Dent (74) and her husband Colin (75), in what police described as ‘a disturbing scene’. The victims’ son, Robert Dent (47), was found on the scene with non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment. He has been charged with two counts of murder. In August 2022 he pleaded not guilty of murder due to being of unsound mind and in July 2023 was placed on an indefinite custody order. https://tinyurl.com/3mp6f7sf https://tinyurl.com/3zj8xfx4 WA
33
September 18: At about 11.30am emergency services responded to reports of a woman’s body found in a cabin in Bulga Forest, NSW. Dee Annear (34) was reported to have died from head injuries. Ms Annear's partner Rohen Hanson (38) was charged on September 19th with breaching an apprehended violence order and on September 21st was charged with murder. In March 2024 he pleaded not guilty; a jury was unable to reach a verdict and a new trial date will be set. No further details are known at present. https://tinyurl.com/37x64fxd https://tinyurl.com/2jc5w33u NSW
32
September 06: At around 8pm police and emergency services were called to a house at Upper Mount Gravatt. Despite all efforts of paramedics, Angela Silk (45) - named in court documents as Angela Godwin - died at the scene of stab wounds. On Tuesday Alex O’Sachy (43), described as an ‘on-again, off-again’ partner of Ms Silk, was taken into custody and charged with one count of murder as a domestic violence offence. Nothing further is known at present. https://tinyurl.com/pzv3w6tv QLD
31
August 27: Just before 8pm police answered a call to an apartment at Coconut Grove, Darwin, where they found the body of an unnamed woman (48). The victim was described as having impaired mobility due to a full leg cast. Following a call for information from the public and a local door knock inquiry John Mayatjun (50) was charged with murder and domestic violence offences. Nothing further is known at present. https://tinyurl.com/3au9ypra NT
30
August 19: Laura Crncevic (41) died in her Canberra home after being injected with heroin by her partner Christopher Weaver (40). Weaver injected himself first, then Ms Crncevic, who collapsed soon after being given a higher than usual dose. Weaver was aware of Ms Crncevic’s poor health, including management of diabetes and kidney and pancreas transplants. A Narcan nasal spray - used to reverse the impact of heroin - had recently been thrown out and not replaced. Weaver was arrested in 2023 and held in custody after the case was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions by the coroner. In April 2024 he pleaded guilty to manslaughter. https://tinyurl.com/ycyebt43 ACT
29
August 18: Just after 8pm on August 16th, police were called to a disturbance at a caravan park in Caversham. On arrival they found Dusty Rose (22) with serious stab wounds and a 51-year-old man (unnamed) with minor injuries. It is believed that Ms Rose had checked into the park just two hours before an argument broke out in the next-door cabin. She was stabbed in the chest three times by Antoinette Winmar (31)when she went outside to help. Ms Rose was taken to hospital, but despite best efforts she died on August 18th after her life support was switched off. In July 2022 Winmar was found guilty of her murder. https://tinyurl.com/236f9atp https://tinyurl.com/54m2hhes WA
28
August 13: At about 7am police acted on a call from a member of the public, attending a home in Oberon. There they found the body of Susan Murray (66) and her husband Glenn (68). Both had died from extensive stab wounds. About 2 hours later their son, Graeme Murray (46), was arrested more than 120km away in Penrith. On July 15 he was charged with 2 counts of murder. No further details are available as yet. https://tinyurl.com/3ube7ztj https://tinyurl.com/pcshmbcx NSW
27
August 10:
Rene Latimore (31) went missing from a rural property in Koumala, Qld, In early August. Her body was found several weeks later after a large-scale search at the property where she had been living. Extensive inquiries were pursued since the discovery and a 17-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was initially charged with murder. In April 2024 the charge was downgraded to manslaughter and bail was allowed with strict conditions.
26
July 28:
On Monday July 26 Cherry Gerente Ogar (37) was treated by paramedics for life threatening head injuries at her home in Port Hughes. She was transferred to the Wallaroo Hospital but died of her injuries two days later in Royal Adelaide Hospital. Police arrested her husband, Antony Ogar (58) at the scene and charged him with assault causing serious harm. In May 2022 he pleaded not guilty to manslaughter but in September 2023 charges were dropped. Nothing further is known at present. https://tinyurl.com/3t4fsevt https://tinyurl.com/4av2f2v5 SA
25
July 19:
Police searched an apartment complex in Hamilton, looking for Qiong Yan (30) who lived there and had been reported missing in April. During the search they discovered her body in a storage box in a waterfront unit. Yang Zhao (26) a flatmate of Ms Yan and lessee of the apartment where her body was found has been arrested in NSW. Police have charged him with murder and are seeking his extradition to Queensland. No further details are known at present. https://tinyurl.com/twuj69jh https://tinyurl.com/twuj69jh QLD
24
July 11:
At 7.30am, police officers were called to a house in Mount Gambier where they found the body of where they found the body of Rachel Martin (44). Luke Simpson (34) who is stated to be known to the victim has been arrested and charged with murder. Nothing further is known at present. https://tinyurl.com/2rx7z8p3 SA
23
July 05:
Just after 7pm, police officers went to a home in Blackburn, Victoria, to conduct a welfare check. Inside the home they found the body of Maureen Miller (77). Her son Allan Miller (49) was arrested at the scene and held in police custody before being charged with murder. In April 2022 he pleaded not guilty on the basis of mental impairment. Nothing further is known at present. https://tinyurl.com/y48awxrt https://tinyurl.com/87mmd5zn VIC
22
June 30:
Emergency services were called to a property in Inverell just after 2am. Despite all efforts Michelle Michell (50) died at the scene from critical stab wounds. Her daughter Jennifer (21) was rushed to hospital in a serious but stable condition. At 7:45am, police officers located the body of husband and father Neville Michell at a nearby property. Investigations into murder-suicide are ongoing. No further details are available at present. https://tinyurl.com/46xcxd45 https://tinyurl.com/46ah6uab NSW
21
June 15:
At about 3am police were called to a home in Ulverstone, where they found the body of Gabbie Marshall (23) dead from knife wounds. Ms Marshall, who was from Queensland, had been staying at the house for 2-3 weeks with a woman friend and her children. Colin Drake (35), not known to Ms Marshall, was arrested later in the morning. In September 2023 he pleaded guilty to murder and has been sentenced to life in prison, with a non-parole period of 20 years. http://tinyurl.com/yzauz6tw https://tinyurl.com/2u5k665t TAS
20
June 11:
At about 11.20am this morning emergency services attended a home at Numbaa, east of Nowra, following reports a woman’s body had been found by a family member after unsuccessful attempts to contact her. Denise Brameld (51) was declared deceased at the scene following severe injuries. A short time later her neighbour Louis Woodham (37) was found nearby, arrested and charged with murder. Nothing further is known at present. https://tinyurl.com/ybe55p73 NSW
19
June 09:
At about 8pm police responded to reports of a shooting at a home in Stockton, Newcastle. On arrival they found Stacey Klimovitch (61) who had been shot as she answered her front door. Ms Klimovitch died at the scene, where her daughter and granddaughter were also present. Her son-in-law, Stuart Campbell, died in prison before his murder trial commenced. Shooter Jason Hawkins (48) was found guilty of murder in December 2023 and sentenced to 32 years. Stephen Garland (66), get away driver, was found guilty of manslaughter in November 2023 and sentenced to 81/2 years. https://tinyurl.com/37xxmsx2 http://tinyurl.com/jrw9dkuj NSW
18
May 21:
At about 7.20pm emergency services were called to a group of units in Townsville, where Kayla Golding (29) was found lying on the footpath, bleeding from a stab wound to the neck. Paramedics attended to Ms Golding's injuries before she was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Despite best efforts of hospital staff she was pronounced dead later that night. Chante White (29) has been charged with her murder and Jamie McAuliffe (39) with being accessory. Both are believed to have been known to Ms Golding. Nothing further is known at present. https://tinyurl.com/4jwacbsh https://tinyurl.com/5r79hdbu QLD
17
May 20:
The body of Thanh Truong (48) was found at a home in Melbourne at about 7:20pm, dead from shotgun wounds. Shortly afterwards her ex-partner Juan Gonzalez (76) attended a police station and confessed to her murder. Ms Truong had left the relationship about a month earlier. In June 2022 Gonzalez was sentenced to 24 years. https://tinyurl.com/mv2ru934 https://tinyurl.com/2p89pekc VIC
16
May 15:
At about 9pm Barbara Chabaud (62) was found dead in the stairwell of her South Yarra apartment complex. Police were called in and Daniel Waters (41), who is described as a neighbour, was arrested the next day but released within 24 hours pending further inquiries. After ongoing investigation he was arrested again on June 24th and charged with Ms Chabaud’s murder. No further details are available at present. https://tinyurl.com/rv2k9tw9 VIC
15
May 15:
Police discovered the body of Judy Bednar (78) when they conducted a welfare check at her Chelsea home, south-east of Melbourne. Ms Bednar is variously reported to be a Holocaust survivor and a refugee from persecution after the Hungarian uprising. Her son, Thomas Bednar (53) was arrested on May 17. He was found guilty of her murder in November 2022 but continues to dispute the verdict. https://tinyurl.com/2cmackt5 https://tinyurl.com/mv6zdct8 VIC
14
April 23:
The body of Lourdi 'Lordy' Ramadan (48) was found in a Labrador unit on the Gold Coast by police officers called to do a welfare check. She had been wrapped and hidden inside a chest. The body of her partner and carer Craig Bouma (53), had been found on entering the unit. It's believed they had been dead for several days. Police are treating the deaths as murder/suicide, saying Ms Ramadan's death was suspicious while the man's death was not. Nothing further is known at present. https://tinyurl.com/ckth7ps https://tinyurl.com/2ya27caw QLD
13
April 20:
The burnt body of Kelly Wilkinson (27) was found at 6:40am in the back yard of her home in Arundel by police after neighbours reported a disturbance. Her three children, all under nine, are believed to have been at the house at the time. Her ex-husband Brian Johnston (34) was found two blocks away, semi conscious and was taken to hospital under police guard. In February 2024 he pleaded guilty to murder and has received a mandatory life sentence. After ongoing investigations a workmate of Johnson, Bradley Bell (25), was also charged with murder in July 2021. https://tinyurl.com/yzhxmmex https://tinyurl.com/xv3kj3pf QLD
12
April 11:
On April 10th Maryam Hamka (36) packed a few clothes and left her family home in Brunswick, saying she was going to visit a friend in Brighton. She was last sighted on CCTV at 5.30pm at a Brunswick store. After family reported her missing her ex-partner Toby Loughnane (41) was arrested and charged with domestic violence offences. In August 2023, Ms Hamka's remains were found at Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula. In June 2024, Loughnane was found guilty of murder. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jun/28/maryam-hamka-murder-trial-toby-loughnane-guilty-ntwnfb https://tinyurl.com/4du294t6 https://tinyurl.com/ahj933nz VIC
11
April (date unknown):
On April 9th Rene Latimore (31) was last seen at Koumala, Queensland. She was reported missing on April 18th and a complex police operation commenced. Her body was found on April 29th buried in a shallow grave on a cattle property at Koumala. Yesterday, November 26th, an unnamed 17-year-old boy was charged with Ms Latimore’s murder. Police have not revealed whether he was known to Ms Latimore. They continue investigations and have not ruled out further arrests. No further details are known at present. https://tinyurl.com/5yd6nehx QLD
10
March (date unknown):
Min Sook Moon (49) was last seen when she got into a vehicle in a carpark in Rawson Street, Epping in the afternoon of Monday March 8th. She was reported missing by her family on March 10th when she failed to make contact with them. On March 20th a friend of Ms Moon, Chulsoo Jung (55), was arrested after handing himself in at a police station. That afternoon police officers found Ms Moon’s body in a park at Silverwater, just a little way away from her last seen location. In March 2022 Jung pleaded guilty to her murder. https://tinyurl.com/2ez4xhnr https://tinyurl.com/2j4996v7 NSW
9
March 13:
Emergency services were called to a home in Wortumertie Street, Bourke at about 12:30am where they found Cassandra (Sandy) Brown (47) fatally injured with a stab wound. She died at the scene. In March 2023 her partner Kenneth Knight (50) was sentenced to 12.5 years minimum for murder (DV) and contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (DV). https://tinyurl.com/28j7a24j https://tinyurl.com/ye8zcjpk NSW
8
March 5:
On Sunday March 7th police were led to a shallow grave about 40 kilometres north of Hawker, SA. There they found the body of Jasmeen Kaur (21) who was last seen in Adelaide on Friday 5th March. Tarikjot Singh (20) an ex-boyfriend who led police to the grave, pleaded not guilty to her murder. In February 2023 he changed his plea to guilty. In August 2023 he was sentenced to 22 years 11 months imprisonment and in June 2024 his appeal to reduce the sentence was rejected and his minimum term extended. https://www.9news.com.au/national/callous-killer-who-buried-exgirlfriend-alive-handed-longer-prison-sentence/7aa280a2-6151-4a05-8f4b-21842a39a9d5 https://tinyurl.com/2686uxy5 https://tinyurl.com/2vaw75u8 SA
7
February 25:
Emergency services were called to a home on the Gold Coast (Qld) at about 1:30pm yesterday after a visitor raised the alarm. Police found Robyn Beever (82) inside the home, dead after suffering serious injuries. Her husband, Max Beever (82), was also found with serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where he remains under police guard. He has been charged with his wife’s murder. https://tinyurl.com/4c5knt9r https://tinyurl.com/3xsffhs9 QLD
6
February 22:
Doreen Langham (49) died in a house fire deliberately lit by her ex-partner Gary Hely whose body was found next to that of Ms Langham. He was under a TPO which barred him from visiting the house. Ms Langham made a 000 call on the night of the fire which was not rated as requiring urgent response. In July 2022 the coroner's report noted that Hely intentionally lit the fire in order to kill Ms Langham and that his own death was likely intentional. https://tinyurl.com/2afxckut https://tinyurl.com/p6jd9fz4 QLD
5
February 01:
Ju Zhang (33) was last seen at her home in Epping at about 5.30pm on Monday, February 1st. Grave fears were held for her safety as she was dressed in night attire and had left her young son with her partner, Joon Tan (35), who said she had gone for a walk and not returned. He has pleaded not guilty to her murder. In June, Ms Zhang's remains were found at a landfill in Wollert, 5 km from her home. In June 2023 Tan was found guilty of her murder. He was sentenced to 25 years and will be deported to Malaysia after completing his sentence. https://tinyurl.com/2p8yk3wa https://tinyurl.com/4smytpyf VIC
4
January 31:
Just after 9.30 pm police were called to a home in Thomson in response to reports of an assault. On arrival they found Michelle Norris (40) in a critical condition. Despite best efforts of first responders Ms Norris died at the scene. Tim O'Shannessey (42), her partner and father of her unborn child, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with assault and other offences. No further information is available at present. https://tinyurl.com/y42t8ot4 https://tinyurl.com/yxzh8jv7 VIC
3
January 29:
At around 9.40 am on January 21st emergency services were called to a home in Ascot Vale, where they found Adakruai Mitiang Ater (57) with life-threatening injuries. She was taken to hospital where she died 8 days later, on Friday, January 29th. Emma Yuot (27), believed known to the victim, was arrested at the site.In March 2023 she was found unfit to plead to Ms Ater's murder due to mental impairment. No further information is available at present. https://tinyurl.com/u8rbcerw https://tinyurl.com/1j2cdpqa VIC
2
January 7:
At about 9pm R. Rubuntja (46) was sitting outside the Alice Springs Hospital when a Ford Falcon sedan was driven at her, dragging her for some distance before driving away. Staff at the hospital rendered immediate assistance, but despite their efforts she died of her injuries. Northern Territory Police arrested her partner Malcolm Abbott (49) at a nearby location. In April 2022 he was sentenced to 25 years without parole. He had an extensive history of violence against previous partners. https://tinyurl.com/ycxsbwfr NT
1
January 2:
Firefighters found the body of Stephanie Lee Robinson (30) after a house fire in Perth. She had been bludgeoned to death. Her partner, Chudier Pal (29), was charged with one count of murder. In August 2022 he entered a plea of not guilty on insanity grounds. A judge-only trial in March 2024 he was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. https://tinyurl.com/5n7s7rhy https://tinyurl.com/ynx5tzt2 WA
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