Focus on the BIG picture.
Wednesday, Jan 15, 2025
Outside the box.
Tragic Landmark: Alice Springs Records Northern Territory's First Domestic Violence Homicide of 2025
The death of a 51-year-old woman signals a grim start to the year for domestic violence homicide statistics in Australia’s Northern Territory.
In a devastating episode that marks the Northern Territory's first domestic violence homicide of 2025, the body of a 51-year-old woman was discovered in a riverbed in Alice Springs.
Authorities have arrested her 49-year-old partner, who remains in police custody.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley provided a briefing on the case, explaining that the man contacted police at 12:20 am on Monday, reporting the woman was unresponsive near the Todd River.
Upon arriving at the scene within 11 minutes, police officers attempted CPR, but regrettably, she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Assistant Commissioner Malley noted, 'We are treating the assault as a homicide, and the crime scene remains active.' Details remain scarce, but Malley acknowledged allegations that a weapon, though not an edged one, was involved in the incident.
This unsettling start to the year comes amid ongoing efforts to combat domestic violence in the region, as highlighted by Malley: 'It's not what we wanted or expected.
We are doing a lot of work out there in the community related to domestic violence.' Despite these efforts, full and overflowing prisons starkly underline the persistent safety concerns within communities.
The tragedy underscores an urgent issue: between June and November 2024, eight Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory lost their lives due to domestic violence.
This statistic gravely points to the heightened risk for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, who are eight times more likely to be victims of homicide.
Authorities are urging anyone with further information to step forward and assist law enforcement by contacting police directly or providing anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers.
For those affected by domestic violence, resources are available.
Support services can be accessed by calling 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for those from Indigenous communities.
Authorities have arrested her 49-year-old partner, who remains in police custody.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley provided a briefing on the case, explaining that the man contacted police at 12:20 am on Monday, reporting the woman was unresponsive near the Todd River.
Upon arriving at the scene within 11 minutes, police officers attempted CPR, but regrettably, she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Assistant Commissioner Malley noted, 'We are treating the assault as a homicide, and the crime scene remains active.' Details remain scarce, but Malley acknowledged allegations that a weapon, though not an edged one, was involved in the incident.
This unsettling start to the year comes amid ongoing efforts to combat domestic violence in the region, as highlighted by Malley: 'It's not what we wanted or expected.
We are doing a lot of work out there in the community related to domestic violence.' Despite these efforts, full and overflowing prisons starkly underline the persistent safety concerns within communities.
The tragedy underscores an urgent issue: between June and November 2024, eight Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory lost their lives due to domestic violence.
This statistic gravely points to the heightened risk for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, who are eight times more likely to be victims of homicide.
Authorities are urging anyone with further information to step forward and assist law enforcement by contacting police directly or providing anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers.
For those affected by domestic violence, resources are available.
Support services can be accessed by calling 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or 13YARN (13 92 76) for those from Indigenous communities.
