Warning: this story discusses violence against women and death. If you or anyone you know is affected by domestic violence you can call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or contact police on 131 444 or 000 in an emergency.
Another Aboriginal woman has died due to violence in the Northern Territory, making her the eighth since June.
NT Police confirmed that a 61-year-old woman from Katherine died in hospital last Thursday.
Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service (KWILS) expressed their sorrow and sent condolences to the family and community of another Katherine woman lost to violence.
“Four Big Rivers women in four months,” they said in a statement.
“We call, again, for all levels of government to come together and walk alongside the Big Rivers as we work on solutions – for prevention, for response, for healing, and for recovery.
“For strategies that recognise that violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women is driven by the ongoing impacts of colonisation, alongside gender inequality.
“For Big Rivers women – our friends, our family, our colleagues, our leaders, our young ones.”
NT Police said they are upgrading charges against a 68-year-old man who they arrested in October in relation to the alleged domestic violence related assault, and they will be charging the man with murder.
At around 830pm on Saturday, October 12, police arrived at a house in Katherine East following a concern for welfare call.
They found a 61-year-old woman with serious injuries following an assault.
She was transported by St John Ambulance to Katherine Hospital in a critical condition and then airlifted by CareFlight to Royal Darwin Hospital.
It is believed the woman was assaulted sometime on the evening of Friday, October 11, by her male partner, who also allegedly assaulted a 68-year-old male who attempted to intervene.
NT Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Robyne Cahill said the loss of yet another life to the scourge of domestic violence is an absolute tragedy.
Ms Cahill said the Department of Children and Families is undertaking a review of the DV Framework to identify gaps in service provision and opportunities to target the root causes of DV.
“Over-representation of Aboriginal women in domestic violence statistics cannot be ignored so work to ensure the Territory receives our fair share of National Cabinet’s $4.7 billion dollar package announced last month remains a priority,” she said.
“The incidence of domestic violence assaults across the Territory has increased by 82 per cent in the last eight years.
This shows us the current system is not just broken, it’s shattered.
Detectives from Major Crime Squad have been working with the Department of Public Prosecutions and the 68-year-old alleged offender is now expected to be charged with murder at his next court appearance, on November 27.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Detectives investigating the incident are calling for witnesses who may have seen or heard anything that can assist police with their enquiries.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, you can contact police on 131 444 or in an emergency call 000. You can also anonymously report through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Support services for those affected by domestic violence are available, including 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) and Lifeline (13 11 14).
