Camp Hill car fire: Domestic violence is the nation’s problem to solve

One woman is killed every nine days and one man is killed every 29 days by a partner. If there’s one disturbing trend where we as a nation need to take stock and change the narrative – and quickly – it’s domestic violence, writes Peter Gleeson.

AS a journalist of four decades, there is an inevitability about covering death, stories centred on human despair, tragedy, senselessness and, unfortunately, the evil side of humanity, acts so vile that it can take your breath away.

As a hard-bitten, cynical news veteran, developing coping mechanisms for acts of violence, particularly against children, are a mental health necessity.

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One can only imagine the haunting scenes encountered by police and first responders. But the emotional rollercoaster of the past week was different.

It was a week where we saw a little boy, 3, needlessly die from heat exhaustion after being left unattended in a pre-school bus.

We saw a nine-year-old boy with dwarfism so mentally scarred by bullying that all he wanted to do was kill himself.

Hannah Clarke and her children Aaliyah,Laianah and Trey (pictured) were killed by her estranged husband.

And we saw the unthinkable – Raven St, Camp Hill, a typical Brisbane community with manicured lawns and gentrified homes, the scene of a murder that shocked the country.

Three little kids and a mother incinerated in their car by a cowardly monster.

Sadly, it could have happened anywhere in Australia, an all too familiar scenario. The scourge of domestic violence is a national disgrace, a shameful reflection of our society.

It’s estimated that one in three women and one in five men have experienced at least one domestic violence episode from a current or former partner since the age of 15.

Between 2014-2016, there were 264,028 domestic violence incidents reported in Australia.

It is estimated that 17 adults were hospitalised every day in 2016 due to assault by a partner or family member.

One woman is killed every nine days and one man is killed every 29 days by a partner. In this country, we are quick to call for royal commissions. We’ve gone after banks, the aged care industry and now we will assess bushfires and veteran suicide. They are worthy and deserved.

One woman is killed every nine days and one man is killed every 29 days by a partner.

But if there’s one disturbing trend where we as a nation need to take stock and change the narrative – and quickly – it’s domestic violence. So too bullying.

The video of nine-year-old Quaden Bales threatening to kill himself after being bullied at school was just heartbreaking. Australia, we need to talk.

It’s time we stopped this gender war and put an end to the culture of bullying that starts in the school playground. And it is men who need to take the lead and start calling this out.

The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. Gone are the days when as a nation we are conditioned to keep to ourselves.

It’s an epidemic. Speak up. If you know somebody – a friend, a relative, a workmate – who you have concerns for, call it out. The Camp Hill tragedy is a tipping point.

Kids’ lives were lost, all because a selfish monster decided that he wanted to reclaim the power in a relationship. A nine-year-old boy with a disability is so distraught he wants to end it all.

Women and children deserve to be protected. The courts can only do a certain amount. So too police.

Our lawmakers are elected to protect us.

Now, more than ever, we need politicians with courage to shine a light on how we stop domestic violence and bullying.

How many innocent people have to die before we get fair dinkum?