Steven John charged with murder over alleged DV stabbing of 45-year-old Jilkminggan woman
A Territory woman was allegedly brutally stabbed in the back in her own home. Now her 46-year-old alleged killer has faced court for the first time.
Northern Territory
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An accused killer was silent as he sat in the court charged with murdering his 45-year-old partner, the 80th woman to allegedly fall victim of domestic violence in the NT since 2000.
It is alleged that Steven John stabbed his partner in the back in her Jilkminggan home, 146km south-east of Katherine, at 11.20pm Thursday.
Police have previously alleged first responders tried to save the 45-year-old woman, but she passed away an hour after the attack.
John was arrested at the scene, and was formally charged with murder on Saturday.
The 46-year-old alleged killer made no application for bail during his first appearance at Darwin Local Court on Monday.
He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on August 30 for a preliminary examination mention.
It comes as a domestic violence coronial has exposed the scale of abuse in the Territory, with 80 women allegedly killed by a current or former partner since 2000.
Coroner Elisabeth Armitage heard last week that more than 93 per cent of these women were Aboriginal.
The inquest was also told that over the past 10 years family violence in Territory homes had increased by 117 per cent, with modelling predicting it could rise by a further 73 per cent by 2033.
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Prevention Minister Kate Worden said “this has to stop”.
“Today the Territory community is mourning another needless death of an Aboriginal woman,” she said.
“Another family has been torn apart. This has to stop.
“My heart goes out to the family and the trauma they are experiencing right now.
“Domestic, family and sexual violence is a scourge on the Northern Territory, it is all of our responsibilities to speak up and call it out.”
Ms Worden also called for more support from the federal government to address the shocking rates of violence against women in the NT.
“The Northern Territory has higher levels of disadvantage, people who are struggling to economically and socially engage and vast remoteness that impacts service delivery across the region,” she said.
“We need the federal government to fund the Territory to meet the need of our communities – not based on population size – to improve access to services and create better outcomes in our communities.”
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Originally published as Steven John charged with murder over alleged DV stabbing of 45-year-old Jilkminggan woman
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