Matt Cunningham opinion: Two Coroners hold domestic violence inquests seven years apart

The reasons women stay in abusive relationships and are often reluctant to engage with law enforcement authorities is a key factor in the Territory’s DV crisis, writes Matt Cunningham.

It’s almost seven years since then Territory Coroner Greg Cavanagh delivered his findings from an inquest into the deaths of two Aboriginal women in Alice Springs.

Kwementyaye Murphy and Kwementyaye McCormack had both been subjected to years of abuse at the hands of their violent partners.

Police had been called to 45 previous incidents involving Ms Murphy and her partner Stanley Scrutton between 2003 and her death in 2014.

Ms McCormack had been the subject of 32 reports to police about abuse from her partner in the 12 years leading up to her death in 2015.

“Domestic violence is a contagion,” Mr Cavanagh said at the time.

“In the Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory it is literally out of control.”

A few weeks later, then NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw revealed just how out of control it was — his officers had responded to 75,000 domestic violence cases in the previous three years.

It’s hard to believe, but seven years in this crisis is worse. Far worse.

The latest tragedy occurred on Thursday night when a woman was stabbed to death in a remote community southeast of Katherine.

New Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage is now examining the deaths of another four Aboriginal women.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Michael White told the inquiry rates of domestic violence in the NT had increased 117 per cent in the past decade.

Police predict those rates will rise by another 70 per cent in the next 10 years.

As counsel assisting the coroner Peggy Dwyer revealed last week, the victims in these cases are overwhelmingly Aboriginal women.

“Since the Year 2000, 79 women in the Northern Territory have been killed by a current or former partner,” she said.

NT Coroner Elisabeth Armitage and counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer tour the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre in Darwin this week.

“Seventy-four of those ladies were Aboriginal. That means that about 93 per cent of the women killed in acts of domestic or family violence in the Northern Territory, are Aboriginal women.”

The current inquest has focused keenly on the failures of government departments and this is a worthy line of inquiry, for many institutions have failed on this issue.

From sloppy police responses, to the prison sentences that make you wonder if our courts somehow place a lesser value on the life of an Aboriginal woman.

But we might also consider why women stay in abusive relationships and why they are reluctant to engage with law enforcement authorities.

The issue was addressed by Mr Cavanagh in 2016.

“I was told that for many victims there is pressure from the husband’s family for the victim to withdraw the complaint,” he said.

“The paternal mother-in-law, who possesses considerable power, may well take the victim’s children. The victim’s own family may seek to dissuade her.

“If the offender is imprisoned that may not provide the anticipated relief.

“The husband’s family will keep an eye on the victim to ensure she does not see other men and will provide the imprisoned husband with information on what the victim may be doing.

“They might even take the victim to live with them.

Former Coroner Greg Cavanagh said domestic abusers ‘may pursue retribution’ when released from prison.

“When released, the husband may pursue retribution against the victim for her role in his imprisonment and her real or imagined misdeeds while he was incarcerated.”

Ms Armitage will no doubt consider this issue too. For there is only so much police can do, and only so much blame that can be apportioned to the people with the unenviable task of responding to these horrific incidents.

As Mr White told the Coroner this week: “I think the only way we’re going to prevent further harm to the community and women and children in particular, is if we can change the behaviour of men — that is where it’s got to be fixed.”

Meanwhile, eight years after her death and almost seven since Mr Cavanagh delivered the harrowing findings from his inquest, Nathan Swan was jailed last week for the manslaughter of Kwementyaye McCormack.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with a non-parole period of six years and six months.

Matt Cunningham is the Sky News Darwin Bureau Chief and North Australia correspondent.

Originally published as Matt Cunningham opinion: Two Coroners hold domestic violence inquests seven years apart