05/12/2024
Destroyers, today is Day #11 of of Activism against Violence against Women.
Today, for the fifth time during those 11 days, we bring you news of a woman dead by violence.
We continue to call on all Australian governments to to prioritise a national, unified system for investigation, analysis and response to violence against women. We continue to demand a safer world for women and their children.
With great sadness we persist in our task of maintaining the most credible and substantiated record of women killed by violence in Australia. Our report today lacks detail; again we commit to updating our post and our register as further news emerges.
Once more we update our register of known deaths due to violence against women in 2024, which now stands at 72.
Just after 8pm on Friday November 29th police were called to a property in Footscray for a welfare check. When they arrived they found a woman (62), who remains unnamed for legal reasons, dead inside a brothel premises. Investigators allege the victim was killed in the early hours of the morning of Wednesday, 27 November. Yesterday Michael Chalmers (35) was arrested at his home address in Footscray and has now been charged with one count of murder. Nothing further has been reported to date.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-05/michael-chalmers-court-footscray-brothel-murder/104687660
We extend our deepest sympathy to family and friends.
This violent death is listed at number 68 in our chronological register for 2024.
Destroyers, these posts honour the memory of women who have died in tragic circumstances. We do moderate closely and off topic comments will be hidden. Off topic comments include: speculation as to motivation, actions, background, mental state and drug or alcohol use of the alleged perpetrator; calls for violent retribution; offensive remarks to other posters; and any comment which may impact on court proceedings.
We are currently monitoring several deaths, some of which date back over months and years. We try to be accurate in our record, and we will not publish without a high degree of certainty, but we can't know the full circumstances of each death until court cases or coronial hearings are finalised. We do our best to maintain a full and accurate register, based on our recording criteria. If you know of any verified facts which may add detail to our record, please send us a **personal message**.
𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 – 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀.
We have no wish to prejudice the outcome of court proceedings.
Women from all backgrounds are counted but we make no assumptions about a woman's culture, lifestyle or circumstances. We often do not even know a name: this may be out of respect for cultural traditions or because of a court order. We add updated information to our annual registers as soon as it is received and verified.
You can access our updated current register and our historical registers on our dedicated page: https://tinyurl.com/y6ew3a8f
--------------------------------------------------------
Destroyers, you can support our researchers and our campaign for national action on violence against women in many ways:
𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙! Spread this post widely on your social networks.
𝘼𝙘𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝! If you use our research in journalism, media articles or social media posts, please credit our work.
We are the Counting Dead Women Australia researchers of Destroy The Joint.
𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡! Increasingly, local and national reporting is locked behind a paywall. Every small donation helps our researchers to access the reputable, timely reports they rely on. Your dollar can help!
𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (however small) are welcome and can be made via this PayPal link: https://tinyurl.com/y678ttmj
Or by direct deposit to: BSB 032-249 Account number: 316752 (Destroy The Joint)
-------------------------------------------------------
*Please note:* In at least 75 per cent of the cases reported from 2012 to 2023, the victim knew her alleged killer. We do not record only deaths attributed as domestic or family violence, as we believe all violent deaths targeted against women are the result of societal misogyny. We include women killed by other women (lateral violence). Their small but sad number confirms that most violence against women is perpetrated by men.
-------------------------------------------------------
- If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence,
* 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732;
* 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 1800RESPECT on 0458 737 732; or
* 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 https://www.1800respect.org.au/
- You can access local services here: https://www.dss.gov.au/ending-violence/help-and-support
or download the free Daisy App https://www.1800respect.org.au/daisy/
- Accessible information and support is available via the free Sunny App, developed for and by women with disability https://www.1800respect.org.au/sunny/
- YARN offers crisis support and advice to First Nations callers (13 92 76) and online https://www.13yarn.org.au
- For legal information, Family Violence Law Help: https://familyviolencelaw.gov.au or
Women’s Legal Services Australia https://www.wlsa.org.au
** In an emergency, call 000. **
