Ugly spike in deaths related to WA domestic violence

TWENTY three women, children and men have been killed in suspected domestic-related murders in WA so far this year — or more than two a month — compared with 11 for the whole of last year.

TWENTY three women, children and men have been killed in suspected domestic-related murders in WA so far this year — or more than two a month — compared with 11 for the whole of last year.

The horrific murders in Bedford, where twin two-year-old girls, a three-and-a-half year old girl, their mother and grandmother were all found dead was the third mass killing since June.

Carlisle mother of two Fahima Yusuf, 32, was found buried in her own backyard, allegedly murdered by her husband Ahmed Dawood Seedat.

Overall, there have been 29 suspected homicides in WA to date in 2018.

More than a third of victims in the 23 alleged domestic homicides this year have been children, with ten women and four men also losing their lives.

Three shocking cases each with multiple victims have contributed to this year’s alarming spike:

This year, there have been at least two cases of sons accused of murdering their fathers, as well as an 85-year-old man charged with the murder of his 83-year-old wife.

Simone McGurk, Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, said more than two suspected domestic murders a month, as well as the many assaults and trauma that unfolds behind closed doors, was “absolutely not good enough”.

“We cannot sit around thinking we all don’t have a part to play in this. We do,” she said. “As a community, and as government, we must stay focused on changing the conversation that allows family and domestic violence to go unchallenged, to be misunderstood and even ignored.

“With statistics like this, you can understand how WA has the second-highest rate of reported physical and sexual violence perpetrated against women in Australia, second only to the Northern Territory.”

Australian Arab Association founder Salim Youssef said Ms Yusuf had volunteered once for the association, but was a regular face at events. “It is very sad for this to happen in our community,” he said.

Mr Youssef said if Ms Yusuf was experiencing difficulties in her personal life she appeared to hide it well in public, adding she always had a smile on her face.

“She was a lovely person, very active. She seemed always happy, with her kids. No one knew or heard of any of her issues.”

Mr Youssef said everyone needed to do more to tackle the domestic violence scourge — a societal problem, but one in which victims in the Muslim community felt especially scared to speak up about.

“I think we need to call on State and Federal governments to do action, not only talk ... in the Muslim, Arab community the problem is they don’t speak up and will end up in devastating news. That’s what we always try to encourage, the woman to speak up ... but it comes with a stigma and shame.”

Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence policy officer Kedy Kristal said: “We’re expecting the numbers to be shockingly high this year. The reality is 18 people have lost their lives so far this year, and hundreds of women and children are experiencing family and domestic violence every day of their lives.”

Ms Kristal said data collected from refuges in Perth from January to June this year revealed 284 women and six children — one as young as eight months old — had been choked or strangled. Seven women had been pregnant at the time.

“We had one woman saying he stood on my throat with steel-capped boots, we’ve had numerous comments where women have said they’ve been so afraid they’ve wet themselves, soiled themselves or passed out,” she said.

The State Government is considering making non-fatal strangulations in domestic incidents a stand-alone offence, with Attorney-General John Quigley expecting recommendations from the Department of Justice before the end of the year.

Originally published as Ugly spike in deaths related to WA domestic violence