Rosie Batty backs call for Royal Commission after four women’s deaths in SA

Leading anti-domestic violence campaigners are urging SA to follow in Victoria’s footsteps after the deaths of four women in just one week.

• Wife killer’s body found near remote town
• Sad details of mum’s final weeks revealed

The “terrifying” deaths of four women in just one week have sparked calls for a royal commission into domestic violence in South Australia.

The move is backed by family violence survivor and national campaigner Rosie Batty and the children of murdered Adelaide women Zahra Abrahimzadeh and Graziella Dailler.

Advocates will hold a rally on the steps of Parliament House at 9am on Friday to pressure government ministers to respond to a crisis claiming too many lives.

The Embolden alliance, representing 18 women’s safety, legal and welfare groups, has written to Premier Peter Malinauskas pleading for “urgent action” and a commitment to fund a royal commission into the extent of domestic violence in SA and how to better respond.

The government and opposition have said they will “consider” the idea, which is also backed by the Australian Services Union and the SA Council of Social Services.

In a horror seven days the bodies of women, allegedly killed by a man known to them, have been discovered on November 15 at Felixstow, November 16 near Port Augusta, November 19 in Morphett Vale and November 21 in Modbury North.

In that case, 55-year-old mother Jodie Jewell was shot dead by her estranged husband Kevin Jewell.

He fled, sparking a statewide manhunt which ended when his body was discovered near the small town of Curramulka on the Yorke Peninsula.

Natasha Palmer, Vincent Holly and Adelaide Holly remember their mother Graziella Dailler, who was murdered by her partner in 2014. Picture Dean Martin

For many, the spate of deaths has prompted painful memories and fears that lessons have not been learned from past murders.

“Four women dead in seven days is absolutely terrifying,” said Adelaide Holly, whose mother Graziella Dailler was killed by her estranged partner in Encounter Bay in 2014, before he took his own life.

“It’s infuriating to know that this is still happening in our society

“It feels no different to 10 years ago when it happened to our family. Not much has changed if four more families will suffer that same inconsolable grief.”

Mrs Jewell’s murder – soon after her friends say she had decided to leave her husband and make a “fresh start” – was uncomfortably familiar for the children of Zahra Abrahimzadeh, who was killed by her estranged husband in 2010.

“That was essentially the point where my mum was at when she was killed,” said Arman Abrahimzadeh.

Arman Abrahimzadeh with his mother Zahra at a wedding in Adelaide in 2004. Picture: Supplied

“She had a part-time job, we were making our way through the family court … we could actually see a brighter future for ourselves and that’s when the incident happened.”

It has been almost a decade since the findings of a coronial inquest into Mrs Abrahimzadeh’s murder were handed down in 2014 and a royal commission would be an opportunity to review progress, her son said.

In 2015 the Victorian government launched Australia’s first royal commission into family violence, following the murder of Rosie Batty’s son Luke by his father in 2014.

It committed $3.7bn to respond to the resulting 277 recommendations over a decade.

Rosie Batty has been a strong anti-violence campaigner since her son Luke was murdered by his father in 2014. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Ms Batty said such an inquiry in SA could unearth evidence and highlight failings that could save lives but it would require the government to also commit significant funding to long-term reform.

“You have to have the political will to do something with the findings, otherwise it sits as a document and it means nothing,” she said.

Embolden first wrote to government ministers calling for a royal commission in October, and a meeting to discuss the proposal was scheduled for December.

The recent spate of deaths prompted the alliance to intensify its campaign and convene Friday’s rally.

Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Minister Katrine Hildyard and Opposition spokesman Josh Teague will attend.

Ms Hildyard said the “brutal murders” of the past week were “utterly unacceptable”.

“All of these deaths were preventable (and) we are determined to help advance change that means men do not harm women,” she said.

Mr Teague said the calls for a royal commission were “a statement of no confidence” in the government’s “handling of this important issue”.

Originally published as Rosie Batty backs call for Royal Commission after four women’s deaths in SA