Mother of woman stabbed 78 times disgusted by killer’s sentence

Her daughter was stabbed 78 times in three minutes by her ex-boyfriend - she now says Australia’s justice system has failed women everywhere.

Her daughter’s name is Mackenzie Anderson. She was 21 when brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend Tyrone Thompson - stabbed 78 times in three minutes. Tabatha Acret fought for justice for her daughter, angry at what she considered a grossly inadequate sentence. Thompson was sentenced to a non-parole period of 15 years and six months’ jail. Today Ms Acret feels defeated. “When Justice fails women, it becomes an act of terrorism,” Ms Acret, who has lodged a formal complaint with teh Humans Rights Commision against NSW Justice, said.

Here she shares her thoughts exclusively with news.com.au

“When a judge rules that 15 years’ non-parole is ‘adequate’ for the violent murder of a woman in front of her 23-month-old child, we have a serious problem in Australia.

When, at appeal, another judge upholds that decision - declaring it reflects ‘community standards’ and is the ‘norm’ - the problem becomes even deeper.

This is not just a failure of one case. It is part of a system that continues to devalue women’s lives. And when that system repeatedly minimises violence, it is not exaggeration to call it what it is: state-sanctioned terrorism against women.

Mackenzie Anderson was 21 when brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend Tyrone Thompson - stabbed 78 times in three minutes. Picture: Supplied

The message is clear: women’s lives are not valued.

Australia’s legal system has once again sent a chilling message: ‘Women of Australia, your lives are not worth it. We don’t care about your safety.’

How can breaching an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) more than eight times, with zero consequence, be considered justice? When there is no real punishment, there is no deterrence. And without deterrence, women remain unprotected while offenders are free to harm again.

A system that emboldens violence

Violence against women in Australia is not rare. One woman is killed every four days, most often by a man she knows. Yet the sentences handed down in cases of intimate partner homicide often fail to reflect the severity of the crime.

Consider the disparity: people convicted of large-scale drug trafficking routinely face sentences of 25 years or more. White-collar criminals have received decades in prison for financial fraud. Property crimes can attract harsher penalties than the murder of a woman in her own home.

MacKenzie’s mother Tabitha Acret said the legal system continues to devalue women’s lives. Picture: Sue Graham

Tyrone Thompson who murdered MacKenzie by stabbing her 78 times. Picture: Nine News

The comparison is stark. The law often shows greater interest in protecting money and drugs than it does in protecting women’s lives.

When courts deliver lenient punishments in cases of gendered violence, they embolden perpetrators and reinforce women’s fear. This is not impartiality or legal neutrality - it is complicity. By minimising violence, the justice system enables a cycle of harm that terrorises women and children across the country.

What must change

If Australia is serious about addressing this crisis, the legal system must be reimagined. A major priority is sentencing. Domestic violence murders should never be treated as ‘ordinary’ homicides; they are crimes rooted in patterns of coercion, control, and repeated breaches of protection orders. That reality must be reflected in stronger, mandatory minimum sentences that remove judicial discretion to diminish their seriousness.

Ms Acret said domestic violence murders should never be treated as “ordinary”.

Floral tributes left for the young mother following her murder. Picture: Toby Zerna

Just as critical is how the system responds to breaches of AVOs. Right now, an offender can breach an order multiple times without consequence. That effectively tells women their safety is conditional, and tells perpetrators that orders are meaningless. Breaches must carry automatic penalties, especially when coupled with physical assault or homicide. Without this, AVOs are reduced to empty pieces of paper.

Broader reforms must also ensure that courts consider patterns of behaviour - not just the final act of violence. Too often, years of intimidation, stalking, and threats are minimised as ‘domestic disputes’ until they culminate in murder. A justice system that is serious about prevention must treat these red flags with the urgency they demand.

Ultimately, reform is not about revenge - it is about protection, accountability, and creating a justice system that truly values women’s lives.

The broader cost of inaction

When courts minimise the severity of intimate partner violence, they don’t just fail one victim - they fail every woman. Families awaiting trial watch these decisions with dread. Communities lose faith in the system. And offenders learn that their violence will be excused.

Every lenient sentence sends a message: women’s lives matter less. And each time a perpetrator is released early because of these precedents, the justice system shares responsibility for the harm that follows.”

Originally published as Mother of woman stabbed 78 times disgusted by killer’s sentence