Hannah Clarke’s final chilling words still haunt us as grim rollcall continues | Samantha Maiden
Hannah Clarke’s chilling final words as she died still haunt us. Four years on, the number of women being killed by their partners remains a disgrace, writes Samantha Maiden.
Opinion
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Four years ago, as Hannah Clarke lay dying with her terrified children trapped inside a burning car, her estranged husband was still trying to stop people from helping them.
That’s what an inquest into their deaths was told in graphic and highly distressing evidence.
Witnesses said her ex-husband was moving around “growling” and “guarding” the blazing vehicle containing the children while their mother desperately tried to extinguish the flames.
It is difficult to fathom what went through his mind at any moment of this grotesque and horrific murders.
It rightly sparked a national debate about domestic violence led by her grieving parents who bravely discussed some of the warning signs of his controlling behaviour.
It’s stories like Hannah Clarke’s that rightly spark huge national debates.
Ms Clarke, 31, her daughters Aaliyah, 6, and Laianah, 4, and her son, three-year-old Trey, died after their father set alight their car with a petrol can in a suburban Brisbane street in 2020.
A witness said that Ms Clarke was screaming: “Call the police, he’s trying to kill me, he’s poured petrol on me.”
Two weeks earlier the 42-year old had tried to break her wrist after breaching yet another intervention order to torment her.
On one level these terrible stories make us believe that domestic violence is something that happens to other people in family homes far away.
And yet here we are four years later discussing another grim rollcall of women allegedly murdered by their partners.
In the case of the alleged murder of Molly Ticehurst, police say her ex killed her new puppy in the days leading up to her killing.
Ticehurst, 28, was allegedly murdered by a man who was on bail for a raft of serious charges including three counts of sexual intercourse without consent and four counts of stalking or intimidating Ticehurst.
He was also charged with aggravated animal cruelty in relation to Ticehurst’s puppy and remains before the courts on all charges and has entered no pleas.
The transcript of the bail hearing before her alleged murder makes grim reading as he is released on “strict” conditions.
Today, Molly is dead and her young child will grow up without a mother.
As Ms Ticehurst’s grieving father, Tony Ticehurst, told reporters: ‘If they’d have kept him in jail as the police wanted, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.’
But beyond these horror allegations, most people know a friend who has borne the brunt of abuse from an angry or drunk partner.
Maybe you even recognise yourself, when reading these stories.
The reasons why women don’t leave in those circumstances are complex.
And they are unlikely to be solved by a $5000 grant or a ban on deep fake porn.
It’s a start however. And if it helps some women that is important.
Anthony Albanese had all of the best of intentions this week he spoke at a rally against violence and got into strife for the way he handled that.
Others have had plenty to say about that.
Like others, it’s my observation that he did not handle the matter well. The words “I am the Prime Minister” are unbecoming ever, let alone at that rally.
However, I accept his contention that the big issue is fixing this problem, not parsing the finer details of whether he was or wasn’t invited to speak at a rally.
This week, he convened an urgent national cabinet meeting after declaring violence against women a “national emergency” following the killings of 27 women across Australia.
He announced the permanent establishment of the Leaving Violence Payment to assist people experiencing intimate partner violence with the financial costs of leaving a violent situation.
“Those eligible will be able to access up to $5000 in financial support along with referral services, risk assessments, and safety planning,” Mr Albanese said.
“This commitment builds on measures put in place by our government to help address financial barriers to escaping violence.”
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland announced $6.5m in the budget for a pilot of “age-assurance technologies” to reduce children’s exposure to harmful material.
She also flagged legislation banning the creation and distribution of deep fake pornography and the sharing of sexually explicit material using technology such as artificial intelligence.
“I’m well aware as a parent myself of two young girls there is a weight that parents are feeling about how to help their children navigate the online environment,” Ms Rowland said.
“Reducing this exposure to harmful and degrading pornography will better protect the women and children of Australia and we will have more to say about our plans to strengthen online safety.”
It’s a start. But it’s not enough. And working out what will be enough is a generational journey.
It’s not a problem that one government or perhaps, sadly, even one generation can solve.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying.
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