Vyleen White’s family reflect on one-year anniversary of her death at Ipswich shopping centre

The family of a grandmother who was stabbed to death in an Ipswich shopping centre carpark say they still struggle going to the shops, one year on.

Vyleen White, and the shopping centre scene last February. Picture: Supplied/Facebook (via NCA NewsWire)

The family of a grandmother who was stabbed to death in an Ipswich shopping centre carpark say they still struggle going to the shops, one year on.

February 3 marks one year since Vyleen White was allegedly stabbed at Redbank Town Square carpark by a youth who was trying to steal her car.

Vyleen’s daughter, Cindy Micallef, told The Courier-Mail it was difficult to mourn her mother more than ever.

“How have we coped without her for a year? All the days have blended, and all of a sudden we are at that 12-month mark, and we are just still as lost as we were the day it happened,” she said.

“We would still like to be the family that no one knew about before all of this. Like everybody that’s been in these circumstances, it’s just ‘wish we could change back time’.

“People in the family are still struggling to go to the shops, everyone’s sort of overly cautious now and you shouldn’t have to be like on watch.”

Cindy Micallef said each day was hard. Picture: Richard Walker

Ms Micallef said every day was a reminder that her mother wasn’t there.

“It’s sad that so much has happened in that 12 months. We’ve had a baby born in the family, and we’ve had one get married,” she said.

“There’s so many things, milestones she would have loved to have seen, and, all the grandkids are just broken.”

Ms Micallef said while the anniversary was tough, she was lucky to be surrounded by her family.

“We went to a local garden, and we picked a spot where we’d like to have her memorial,” she said.

“My immediate family, my kids, my husband, my daughter’s partner, we went over to the cemetery. I spent a little bit of time with mum and then came home. It’s just been a reflective day.”

Flowers at the scene last February. Picture: Glenn Campbell/NCA NewsWire

Since Vyleen’s death, the LNP have put in tougher adult crime, adult time laws. Ms Micallef said while Queensland had come a long way there was still a long way to go.

A 16-year-old boy who is accused of Ms White’s murder is among five teenage boys who were charged in relation to the alleged incident.

Ms Micallef said there was still a long way to go and the story was nowhere near over.

“It’s daunting because we know this year is going to be filled with a lot of court stuff and that’s going to be the pressure cooker for everybody,” she said.

“If we have a trial, how are we going to cope?”

No matter the outcome, Ms Micallef said there would never be any closure.

Originally published as Vyleen White’s family reflect on one-year anniversary of her death at Ipswich shopping centre