The recent incident once again highlights the critical need for Australia to address ongoing issues relating to violence against women and homelessness
Forensic investigators at the crime scene at Parkville in Melbourne’s inner north. Photograph: James Ross/AAP
25 year old Courtney Herron, who had no fixed address, was violently killed in Royal Park, Melbourne, on the night of Friday, 25 May, 2019. Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper, of Victoria Police, said Herron had been initially attacked not far from where her body was found and that her attacker had made some effort to conceal her body behind a partially burned log.
Courtney’s attacker has since been arrested and, due to impending court proceedings, cannot be discussed in detail. It is believed however, that there may have been mental health and drug related factors involved in the murder.
Courtney Herron, 25. Source:Supplied
Courtney’s death highlights a number of critical social and political issues which many informed commentators have been saying, repeatedly and often, must be urgently addressed by Governments at both State and Federal levels. It is clear that Australia needs to address the social attitudes and behaviours leading to disrespect towards, and subsequent violence against, women.
In the words of the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews: “This is a terrible tragedy … This is not about the way women behave, this is not about where women are at what hour … This is most likely about the behaviour of men.”
Violence against women is an ongoing social issue that needs to be far more seriously addressed by our society. The propensity for violent incidents, such as this, repeatedly arise and the circumstantial factors leading up to it happening are made even more tragic by the reality of the social situation in which it occurred.
Social and political questions that continue to arise regarding the interconnectedness of all of the above stated issues, and the underlying contributing factors that create social poverty traps, which are glaring indicators of a total lack of adequate governmental social services provisions. A reality that has continued virtually unchanged over a very prolonged political time frame.
A large crowd gathered for the Vigil for Courtney Herron, at Royal Park in Melbourne. Source: AAP
The Australian Government’s inability or lack of serious will to effectively support and give proper aid to everyone who is in any way socially or economically disadvantaged are also leading contributors. The root of the issues involved is the reality of increasing levels of poverty and homelessness which are predominantly influenced and exacerbated by mental health conditions, economic inequality, social injustice, substance addiction and the consequences, and ongoing repercussions, of domestic violence. Experienced social workers have asserted, time and time again, that critical services are being neglected far more than should be socially acceptable or politically allowable.
This is a multifaceted social and political dilemma that is far too often ignored, especially in the places of power and influence, and which is being severely neglected in terms of effective government action. It is an ongoing social dilemma which has been left significantly unaddressed by successive governments for far too long.
Inadequate government policies, lack of properly targeted policy initiatives and seriously deficient levels of effective long term relief and prevention based funding are self evident, wherever and whenever these issues are being addressed at all.
It is time for our Government/s to finally make an honest and transparent stand by taking real action to prevent further such attacks from occurring and to safeguard the well-being of all Australians through a much more compassionate, responsible, real street level issues aware, social services policy environment, devoid of disingenuous politico-speak and shallow rhetoric driven excuses, that are being allowed to prevail, in order to justify any form of social negligence, lack of political will or a repeated falling short of the best practice, most humane, and justice driven, social equality based government policy benchmarks.
