Eurydice Dixon: Daniel Andrews says men need to change behaviour

Daniel Andrews says men need to take responsibility for a ‘culture of violence’ amid a growing public safety debate.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has spoken out about violence towards women. Picture: AAP

Eurydice Dixon’s murder has sparked a public debate about safety in Melbourne with the city’s first directly elected female lord mayor saying she wouldn’t feel safe walking alone at night.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp told Melbourne’s 3AW radio said it would be difficult to make Melbourne’s streets a safer place for women to walk around after dark.

“No (I would not feel safe at night). I think the practical outcome of that is ‘No’. And it’s going to be difficult to achieve that, really,” she said.

“Identifying safe areas to walk, cycle, and drive is important ... we should all be able to move around our city safely and so focusing on the actions of those committing these crimes is important.”

Ms Dixon’s murder at Princes Park this week has already drawn comparisons to the murders of ABC journalist Jill Meagher in 2012 and 15-year-old Masa Vukotic in 2015.

Victoria’s Premier has paid tribute to Ms Dixon, saying men needed to take responsibility for a “culture of violence” towards women.

Daniel Andrews published a series of tweets this afternoon saying women were not responsible for the decisions of men who attack them.

The comments come after a senior Victoria Police officer was criticised for suggesting women had to take responsibility for their own protection earlier in the week.

“In a few days, women across Melbourne will hold a vigil in Princes Park for the life of Eurydice Dixon. They will do so firm in the knowledge that Eurydice died because of her attacker’s decisions – not because of her own,” the Premier wrote today.

“They’re right. And we need to accept that fact, too … We’ll never change a thing until we do. We’ll never change this culture of violence against women.”

Ms Dixon’s murder this week has sparked a wider debate about women’s safety in Melbourne and whether young men need more targeted education in relation to their treatment of women.

Mr Andrews tweeted that women did not need to change their behaviour but men do.

“So our message to Victorian women is this: Stay home. Or don’t. Go out with friends at night. Or don’t. Go about your day exactly as you intend, on your terms,” he wrote.

“Because women don’t need to change their behaviour. Men do.”

In a few days, women across Melbourne will hold a vigil in Princes Park for the life of Eurydice Dixon. They will do so firm in the knowledge that Eurydice died because of her attacker's decisions – not because of her own. They're right. And we need to accept that fact, too.

— Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) June 15, 2018

Criticisms were made online when North-West Division Superintendent David Clayton said people needed to take responsibility for their safety.

“The message we would provide to all members of the community is to take responsibility for your safety,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“Make sure people know where you are, and if you’ve got a mobile phone carry it, and if you’ve got any concerns at all call police.”

Critics said police were putting the onus on women rather than men who commit violent crimes.

Victoria Police’s chief commissioner Graham Ashton told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell that “evil does happen” and that the best way to protect yourself against stranger-related crimes was too assess the risks when walking alone at night.

“People are using the streets, walking around the streets, every day and not being the victims of crime but evil does happen,” he said.

“All of us know whether you are a male or female, that when you are walking around in areas that are dark that you become more aware and that’s perfectly natural too.

“Often self-assessment is all you really can be doing.”

Eurydice Dixon was murdered while walking home on Tuesday night. Picture: Supplied

Debate has also been sparked around whether young men need to be educated more about respectful relationships and why they should not sexually assault anyone.

Trades Hall women’s officer Pia Cervini, who is organising a memorial for Ms Dixon next Monday at Princes Park, told 3AW that an educational push would make women feel safer.

“What I’m talking about is hope for the future and for the next generation,” Ms Cervini said.

“I also do think by taking a public stand ... the message goes out to anybody out there who currently doesn’t hold the view that women are entitled to be safe let them see that people are serious in the community about taking the space (back).”

Chief Commissioner Ashton said targeting young men with education about rape could backfire and that respect had to be instilled in all sections of the community.

“I’m not sure as I see it as an issue for young men especially, but it’s certainly but everyone in the society is respectful of each other,” he said.

“Most killers are male … but I think that respect issue, if we try to isolate it to one section of the community then you lose other sections. We’ve got to make sure everyone gets the need for respect whether you’re young, old, male, female.”

Chief Commissioner Ashton also said there were some people who could not be helped by education as they were “evil.”

“If you go down to Barwon Prison you’ll find people there that I don’t think you’ll ever educate about being non-violent.”

“It’s just my view don’t think you ever educate those people … evil does exist in society. Fortunately it’s rare but it does exist. It always has and it always will and it’s a sad part of human nature, isn’t it?”