Mother of murdered woman calls for ‘solidarity’ to end violence – Associated Press Australia

A sea of ​​orange swept across Melbourne as more than 8,000 people marched against gender-based violence as they marched alongside the grieving family of alleged murder victim Isla Bell.

In Sydney, hundreds of people also took to the streets to remember women killed at the hands of men as the two cities began a 16-day drive to prevent and end violence against women and girls.

Ms Bell went missing on October 4 and police discovered her remains in a landfill earlier this week. A man has been charged with her murder.

At the march in Melbourne on Friday, the 19-year-old’s uncle read out a social media message from her grieving mother Justine Spokes, who urged Victorians to support the Respect Victoria march as a tribute to her daughter.

“My grief is paralyzing and I can’t function. Please give me and my beloved Isla a voice and march in solidarity,” she wrote in the post.

“The reality is that we live in a world where men are in positions of power and still make decisions for women, whether they like it or not.”

According to Australian Femicide Watch, 85 women were killed by men in Australia in 2024.

Respect Victoria chair Kate Fitz-Gibbon said there was no clear reason why more women were killed compared to previous years.

“It shows the complexity of the problem, it shows the absolute importance of persistence and continued leadership,” she said.

“(But) we have to hope. This year we’ve seen more leaders talking about this issue than ever before, and male leaders, and it really makes a difference because different people are listening.”

Marchers in Melbourne waved placards with messages including “women should be safe everywhere” and “get your politics off my body” as they walked from Birrarung Marra to Treasury Gardens.

Victoria’s Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Vicky Ward said “all violent deaths are horrific” and urgent changes were needed to stop women dying at the hands of men.

“Violence is a choice. No one should have to make this choice. So how we talk about each other, how we treat each other is critical,” she told AAP.

“So when we have thousands and thousands of people coming out, wearing orange and making an effort to be here, it shows the depth of concern that the community is feeling.”

In New South Wales, Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the marches were important to raise public awareness of gender-based violence.

“Too many women have lost their lives this year and every year due to domestic violence,” she said.

“It’s about raising awareness of this issue and how we all work together to prevent and stop domestic violence.”

The latest wave of protest follows earlier actions that prompted the NSW government to tighten bail laws following the alleged murder of Molly Ticehurst in Forbes, 120km west of Orange, in April.

A 28-year-old childcare teacher was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend, who was out on bail.

Weeks later, the federal government funded a $1 billion program that would provide payments to people fleeing domestic violence.

The funding was called for after five women and one man were killed at Sydney’s Bondi Junction shopping center when Queensland man Joel Koshy went on a murderous rampage.

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