RIP Jill Meagher
UPDATED
Thousands of Australians have marched through the streets of Melbourne today to honour the memory of Jill Meagher.
Police estimated more than 30,000 attended the march which stretched over a kilometre from Moreland Road to Brunswick Street.
Along the way, many men, women and children stopped to lay flowers at the Duchess Boutique.
Others paused a few doors up, at the Brunswick Baptist Church, to light a candle and say a prayer.
Later in the day a condolence book was available outside the church for people to express their condolences to Jill’s family.
Photo: @MissBaileyWoof
Creator and Publisher of Mamamia, Mia Freedman wrote about the massive impact that Jill’s death has had on Australians, particularly women:
If the shudder that went through women of all ages this week had a name, it would be this: there but for the grace of God go I.
The news of Jill Meagher’s abduction, the arrest of a suspect and the devastating recovery of her body have hit hard and people have reacted in very different ways.
Some have lashed out in anger at the idea women should ever be scared to walk the streets. They have cried ‘victim blaming’ at any suggestion, even with the wisdom of hindsight, that Jill shouldn’t have walked home alone.
Others have eviscerated the media, accusing them of being parasitic vultures and conveniently ignoring the likelihood that the blanket coverage this case has received all week in traditional and social media helped resolve the case so swiftly. And that Jill herself was of the media, with friends and colleagues who helped rally public attention in the most positive way.
Most of us though, were struck by the senseless, terrifying randomness of it, recalling countless occasions we’ve walked in Jill’s shoes after a night out with friends. The spectre of a random attack is one that sits in every woman’s psyche like a squatter, sometimes making its presence felt and causing us to amend our behaviour and other times ignored.
According to the NSW Rape Crisis centre, only 1% of sexual assaults are committed by strangers. But that 1% is 100% for women like Jill and it’s a statistic that hangs over us all.
So what to take away from this tragedy. How to make sense of it. That’s for every woman to decide for herself. But the impact of this crime has touched women and reminded us of our vulnerability in a way that men may not fully comprehend.
It’s something we live with every day. It’s something we impress upon our daughters while simultaneously not wanting them to live in fear. Just vigilance.
Our thoughts are with Jill’s family, friends and ABC colleagues.
Comments
322 Comments so far
When this story broke my dad said “I hope YOU would not be walking alone at night like that”.
Instant attack of the guilts, because I had been doing that in Parramatta the very night before. Yes, drunken men leered at me and I felt unsafe.
And I resolved to avoid being in that position again.I also resolved to help friends avoid it to, by offering lifts, calling for taxis etc. If only we girls did not NEED to fear the night or being alone. But we do. I am so sorry for Jill and her friends and family.
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Totally agree Mylifeinuggboots – what I’m hoping is that the overwhelming reaction of our Australian public sends a message loud & clear to those who think that the life of just one woman is not worth our grief………
It’s a pity that it took her tragic loss to rally public support for her, and the safety and decent treatment of all women in our free society.
Alan Jones is so blinded by his hatred of our PM and his wrath at not being taken seriously in his declining years that he’s failed to see the role he’s played in stirring up the misogyny and disrespect that still crawls like a cancer through the veins of many of his male listeners.
All the women who have found themselves as victims in the last 10 days news stories ever wanted in their lives was kindness.
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I’m so glad you could see the point I was trying to make Caz, it is a big picture point and not about which side of politics you support. It’s about the fact that words are very powerful and doing a lot of damage to the fabric of the society in which we live in. Thanks for renewing my faith that others can see the big picture and are ready to go on this journey for change!
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Why do such things happen? Why are there rapes, murders, etc.? Why with our modern brains, with collective history, have we not overcome such things?
It is because we have not updated education to be in accordance with what science has discovered. For instance, the study of social networks (both physical and virtual) has revealed that one’s friends’, friends’, friends’ influence said person.
It affects everything from what that person thinks, feels, and what they desire. So, in the case of those who do horrendous acts in society we must realize that these people, taking aside the influence of genes which we cannot control, is the product of social influence.
But because we do not much teach this, and more importantly, that this (our interdependence) necessitates the development of mutual care and concern for one another–such crimes continue to happen.
This can change through education, through society beginning to care for all members of society, where a spirit of mutual responsibility permeates. Otherwise we will continue to see such crimes because where is the mutual care and concern that an interdependent society needs?
We are not all the same, not all possessing the same skills and talents. All the more reason then for the development of mutual responsibility because perhaps a very strong person can bypass some social influence which might lead them to rape, murder, etc. but the weak?
In order to develop a future society where each of us is not in fear of the other, and we feel that we all belong as if to one common body, we must develop new education in order for us to learn just how interconnected and interdependent we are and that this necessitates the development of mutual responsibility.
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Just read this fresh article:
Facebook is refusing a police request to take down hate material posted in response to Jill Meagher’s death.
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Damn it, Facebook… Don’t they realise it’s only because the police don’t want to jeopardise the case ?
Where’s their sense of priority ?
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The worm is turning. The death of Jill Meagher and Alan Jones’ (continuing) mysogynistic vendetta against Julia Gillard (and women in power in general) are two events that have catalysed a growing tide of change within the community. People are starting to stand up and be heard – this has to stop. I wish I had been in Melbourne yesterday to help show that Jill’s tragic passing was not an event in isolation, it stands for something. It’s going to stand for the fact that women are not disposable members of society that can be disposed of and humiliated at the whim of a damaged man. I can feel the anger growing, the media is on board. I would love to see similar marches in all our capital cities. We have something to say. We’re as mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore!
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Alan Jones was and is not attacking women for goodness sake.
He’s simply criticising Labor and the way they underhandedly go about politics in this country. It was an insensitive and poor choice of words in what he thought was a closed forum, he has apologised and that should be the end of it.
Please don’t politicise Jill Meagher’s death.
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If you think the way women are treated within the community is not a political issue, you are sorely misguided. Gender issues and politics have gone hand in hand from the days of the suffragettes. Women’s issues will always remain on the public agenda.
You are obviously a Jones fan, so there is probably little point discussing his actions with you, but I think you may need to refresh your memory in relation to Alan Jones and his ‘women are destroying the joint’ comments. The insincere (and clearly forced) apology Jones made yesterday does not take away his intent. He continually refers to Gillard in an offensive, misogynistic way which makes an issue of her gender. I will not apologise for addressing community attitudes and rape and murder in the same place. I’m sure that is exactly what the men such as Jones who think we’re ‘destroying the joint’ want.
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You sure draw some strange threads together. I’m not going to be brought into discussion here other than to say there was nothing gender specific about Jones’ careless comment – it could’ve been equally targeted at a man in the Labor party. I just don’t believe it is appropriate to bring Jones’ comment, as careless as it was, into a discussion about the violent death of a beautiful girl. It’s got nothing to do with it whatsoever.
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It’s appropriate, because he senselessly incites violence through his words – its very relevant because its all happened in the same week that so many in our Australian community are reeling from the senseless violent attack on Jill.
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Incites violence? That’s ridiculous. Same week?!?…
The debate is about the safety of women and why repeat sex offenders are walking our streets and nothing else. I have already posted about a known history of the accused but each post has either been deleted or not put up. If you research the background, I don’t see how you could possibly be wasting your energy on being annoyed with a broadcaster. When you see that footage, the predatory walk, now knowing the background and the tragedy to follow, you surely have to recognise the real issue facing women and young girls today… the justice system is failing to protect us. That is what angers me, not some stupid comments from a broadcaster who makes no secret of his disagreement with the Labor party – not with women – but with a political party. And I’m not saying anything legally wrong in this post, so I hope it will be put up!
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I agree – I kind of think of last week as a critical mass moment of standing up & speaking out about violent acts, be they physical, sexual, verbal or implied, against innocent others. And those dissing it, are just not ready to go on the journey, not wanting to feel it for what it is, and that’s OK – it won’t be a movement that catches the entire population, but there is a ground swell & I’m so pleased its arrived. People get to where they get, when they get there…
I truly hope there’s a flow on from here into the way we raise & educate our children – where human behaviour is shaped the most. Here’s to trusting the process
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I’m so proud of those Victoria’s who marched for Jill – what a beautiful display of community and empathy. So many women have come forward with stories about near escapes – and I think one of the reasons we’re all so deeply shocked and horrified by Jill’s death because it is the nightmare ending to those experiences that so many of us have had.
I wonder what, if any, long term effect this will have? There have been calls for greater education in schools about violence against women, and certainly the dialogue has been started about what it means to be a woman and have avoiding rape or violence built into your routine. But will this have any long term, lasting effect? Could this be the thing that makes society address ingrained attitudes towards women that cause violence? I hope so.
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I find this strange, creepy even. It shows how easily the masses can be swept up with emotive manipulation.
As someone who has personal and painful experience of murder, this march seems like such a wasted opportunity.
Where were the demands for the judiciary to reflect OUR sentiment, not theirs? Where were the demands that every single rapist and pedophile be marked ‘never to be released,’ after their *first* victim, not their last?
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Absolutely agree. I wanted to see at least 100 placards demanding minimum 25 year non parole sentences for sex offenders. People need to start having a much wider discussion with a view to locking away these monsters as long as possible to protect every woman and child in our communities. Marches with that much manpower can be a real catalyst for change.
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I dont want to diminsh anyone’s experience, and of course i speak from the position of not having anyone i know murdered or brutally raped – so a very fortunate position. I also work with criminals, and have come to understand my previous rose coloured view of the world and rehabilitation was very wrong. Some people are bad – even evil i would say – and need to be dealt with very harshly. However i think it is also very important to remember we are one of the safest countries in the world, and that doesn’t happen by accident. It is thanks to a lot of people doing a lot of hard work. I do genuinely think if sending people to prison for long periods of time was effective, well why isn’t the USA much safer? I agree with you in regards to nasty violent and sexual crimes, but we need to remember these are the minority and ‘justice’ is not a one size fits all process.
Also, i am genuinely sorry you’ve had to experience the effects of murder in any way
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It was a peaceful march in honour of a soul passed – to bring the community in where she lost her life, together. If you want a march with placards, for that purpose, then you should organise one
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I am sorry but this all seems a bit crazy… I am living overseas so the only updates on this situation has been from Mamamia and i have been reading about it. It was a horrible situation, really awful and i feel for jill and her family. But we should realise that if one abduction, one horrible murder is such a huge story then the society we live in full of millions of people is doing pretty well. Yes this is horrible, yes it should not have happened and it is awful to think about, but it was a rarity not something that should make every women terrified to walk alone, to be out at night. The march is beautiful, and im sure the support is appreciated to the family. But is it really a march for peace? I just think this story has reached epic proportions and it is great for our society to get together and raise awareness and support each other, but it’s one of those situations that australians are so fond of. We only seem to care when it is a ‘that could’ve been me’ scenario. I think people need to acknowledge and asses that. What if it was an aboriginal girl or a gay man for example, would people know about it, would they march for them?
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One thing I read (it may have been in this thread) which keeps coming to me is how we’re all so hardwired to be polite. I know on many occasions I have stayed and engaged with someone who was giving me the creeps because I didn’t want to be rude. We don’t have to take responsibility for this. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable, walk away. I haven’t usually done this but I will be in the future.
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I agree Diana, I will definitely be doing the same.
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Seeing that snap of the marchers today bought fresh tears of hope to my eyes. Jill’s life was not lost in vain. It now stands for something incredibly powerful. I only wish we would’ve been given that gift of bringing our communities together to speak up and stand together for a better world, without the tragedy.
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EVERY SINGLE TIME i have read/watched something about poor Jill i have cried and cried. It is so upsetting. RIP Jill, you are so missed.
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I hope Jill’s loved ones find some comfort from all the public support.
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My father has had some pepper spray canisters (that he smuggled in from the US) available for my sister and I should we choose to take them with us on nights out.
I’m putting one in my handbag. I don’t care if it’s illegal.
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Any update on the disappearance Bung Siriboon, 13, kidnapped in broad light off the street in Boronia over 12 months ago?
Where is her public outrage? Her march? Her shrine?
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Pages and pages of updates and articles – just google. A potentional sighting back in June etc.
She hasn’t been found Regrets, we don’t know what happened, the story is incomplete. She may be alive. She may be well.
An unsolved abduction is still pending, a confirmed rape and murder is the end of the story. Hence the different reactions to date.
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Are you kidding? Before Jill’s attacker was found and her body confirming the crime – i.e. when it was still an unsolved abduction – there was intense media updates, intense social media threads and commenting… everyone in Australia was talking about this pretty married ABC employee. They hype did not begin AFTER Thursday night!
It is worse in Bung’s case because the psycho who took her and did God knows what is still free to take children at a whim. That is as frightening as…
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Yes, it was high profile and solved very quickly. My point is if it doesn’t get solved very quickly, and often it can’t, it doesn’t stay in the main focus of media attention for any great length of time. Nor would Jill’s case have.
Look at Madeleine McCann – still missing, but where is the furore, the march, the shrine…?
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Organise it, talk about it, people will support if they’re aware of her. It frustrates me that people complain, yet do nothing. There was obviously someone who felt outrage about Jill so instead of sitting at home and complaining they got up and organised a march. Why not do the same?
The reason I feel so strongly for Jill is that we’re the same age, one of my friends do a similar job, we have similar lives. Why can today not be about Jill? Its not a competition of sadness or grief. Lets look at Jill’s case as example of how to conduct ourselves when someone is reported missing so next time someone goes missing me know what to do and how important it is to act asap.
I’m sad for any family that has a loved one go missing, however today is about Jill.
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I’d have to agree.
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Well, she’s pretty, and she is a child… but she’s not a white girl, so…
* Of course, I say that with horrible sarcasm. I it with deep regret and shame for society *
Your comment is spot on – I think of her often. Other very young girls (and maybe even boys) are at risk until that particular creep is locked away. Who knows, he could be swiping a little girl into his car RIGHT NOW.
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Absolutely agree 100% Regrets…
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It’s appalling the lack of effort in solving that case, the lack of public rage or determination. Do parents not fear for their daughters’ safety? As much a s Jill was so close to home, Bung was so very close to school that morning.
What is she is being kept as a sex slave by a paedophile like that American girl for all those years? Jaycee Lee Dugard? And if not, if we can’t save Bung, we can save others from her fate. Where are the tears for Bung?
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There was *a lot* of publicity at the time.
And nothing stopping you from starting a march or a shrine.
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Why don’t you organise one then? So many people are asking that question, and yet not doing anything about it.
Jill’s name got out there because her family and friends made sure it did – they started a FB page, printed off flyers & plastered them all over Sydney Road, in different languages, worked with her colleagues at ABC – they kept her face alive & didn’t stop until her body was found. The community within which she lived & lost her life came together to honour her life in a peaceful way, because they were motivated to do so, as a way of collective community healing.
Jill was surrounded by people who cared & took action. I say, lucky her – I’m glad that at least someone who goes missing gets that kind of love and respect.
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You say that Jill’s family and friends made sure her name was out there and that is why she was found. How disgusting and offensive to imply that Bung’s family’s efforts weren’t enough to solve the case. Her family have appealed numerous times, but because that poor CHILD was wasn’t white, middle class and didn’t work in the media, she didn’t get the same media exposure. She was just a recent immigrant whose family wasn’t very sophisticated at social media.
What a sorry world we live in when the value of our lives is measured by our family’s knowledge of social media…
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Well said.
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Rather than trying to insult people & crying ‘not fair’, how about take some positive action around the cases that you care about?
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Um, no, that wasn’t my intent – I’m saying, that Jill’s family kept her story alive – because they did and if there’s one overwhelmingly positive thing about this whole tragedy, its that Jill was surrounded by people who cared and took action. That’s not taking anything away from other families… that’s giving something to Jill’s family.
If the family you’re talking about don’t have access to social media, then why don’t you take some action and go and assist them? Call the association which represents their culture & ask them for help? Call the federal MP in their local community? Call the Salvo’s? Call your local government representative? Start a petition? Pay for advertising? Organise a march?
What you wrote are not my words nor my intent Regrets… they’re yours, so own them. What a terrible thing to imply…
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That’s not what she was saying at ALL.
Jill’s family managed to use social media to get her case national and international exposure. It’s not often that social media is used this way, I’d say it’s a first in this country. This might be the way these things are solved in the future, because it certainly spreads faster than news reports and posters do
No one is blaming Bung’s family for not doing the same thing, or saying they deserve what happened to them.
To say no one cared about Bung because she isn’t white… that disgusts me. That case has affected me and so many people I know deeply. And there WAS extensive media coverage at the time, but unfortunately it didn’t help. That’s not to say people don’t care. In fact I read a story about it not long ago. Not everything is about race.
However this story has got people talking about Bung again… and I can only hope we can get closer to finding her.
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When I woke up Friday and watched the news with my mum, we both sat in disbelief when we heard what had happend to Jill.
I know some people have expressed surprise in the public reaction to this tragedy, with some pointing out would this same reaction occured if the victim was a male? Or homeless? Or a prosititute?
I honestly don’t know the answer. But when I look at the photos which show the hundreds of people walking together, I feel so proud to be Australian and to be a woman. Proud to be human.
I think of Jill’s family back in Ireland, grieving for their girl and I am so glad that they can see our community saying “Even though you are thousands of miles away, we understand your pain and wish to support you in any way we can”.
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My daughter went to Brisbane Riverfire with a bunch of mates ie boys and girls. She does this all the time to various events. Last night I felt quite uneasy and over did the ‘ do you have a meeting place, do you all have phones’. I do believe that she is safe when they travel as a ‘pack’ but this is the only way that I would allow her to travel at night. Having said that, Brisbane can be quite save when you know when and where to travel.
I still stand firm and allow my daughter to have her freedom, knowing that I have instilled a safety first approach. She is my first born and the mother hen of her group.
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I don’t feel safe anymore
I jusy brought a Personal Alarm for Protection
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i think that the fact this one case out of the whole population of australia is such a big deal proves that you are safe, and this isnt a common occurance.
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lucy, how do you know it is ONE case? Do you know how many people are missing in Australia every day, never to be seen again? It’s just that they do not get the media and police attention to this extent.
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I think she is referring to the murder element of the case. Jill had a 1 in 2 million chance of being murdered by a stranger. In regards to missing persons, about 30,000 people are reported missing every year. Of those, majority are runaways and then victims of domestic violence.
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I know people mostly mean well when they say women should be careful.. And I know the reality in this world is that we all have to be aware of our surroundings, especially at night. But I’m sick of hearing that sentiment. I’m more interested in how scoiety can curb the behaviour of violent predators than women everywhere driving themselves mad with fear about simply existing at night.
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Whilst incidence of rape and murder are (thankfully) uncommon, one is one too many. (I am guessing that assault rape is much more common and equally abhorrent so the same applies).
If anything can be gained form recent tragic events it should be that women (and men) are strongly encouraged to report ANY incidence to police and that a database is kept by Police to see if there is a cluster/pattern and act on it.
Given there are so many women coming forward relating similar stories to recent events you could be forgiven for thinking that with a little bit of awareness an horrific crime could have been prevented/averted.
I wonder would women respond to warnings that a possible sexual predator had been active in an area? ie accept offers to be walked home, catch cabs, arrange to be picked up, walk in groups.
I know not everything can be prevented but we would be silly not to do everything we can. To say that a woman should be able to walk home late at night without fear is foolish. I wouldn’t drive through an intersection if a truck was about to barrel through just because I had right of way. Sadly dead is dead and even if you had every right to be where you were you’re still dead and it is avoidable.
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Where did the “reclaim the night” marches go? I think it’s time to demonstrate the right to walk wherever, whenever without harrasment or violence
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That means nothing to psychopaths.
In fact walking wherever you want, whenever you want, is exactly what they want.
The answer is to be personally responsible for your own safety by making wise choices regardless of what you think is your right.
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In an ideal world that would be possible. To do that we would have to lock up the dregs of society and that is not going to happen. The chance of you encountering one of these opportunist predators is minimal but it can happen. You need to be aware that your own safety is more important than your perceived right to walk where ever, when ever.
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It’s certainly not just women. A male aquaintance was gang raped by men one night in the city, and hung himself that same night, due to the shame of being raped. That incident of course was completely ignored by the media.
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Horrific, terribly devastating story
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Oh I am just so, so sorry. What a tragic story.
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That is terribly sad. It’s my understanding that the media don’t usually cover any stories.
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He should have had a march for safety too.
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It’s not only women who are touched by violent crime. A friend of mine, a big guy you wouldn’t remotely think would need to be scared walking along the street at night, was randomly attacked from behind recently. He was walking home from a night out with friends, minding his own business. Luckily for him he recovered from his injuries. Being female I’ve always felt some hesitation in walking alone at night but after my friend’s attack I know that crime doesn’t discriminate. It’s a dangerous world we live in
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What type of parenting did the killer have? The apple does not fall from the tree. Neglectful parenting spreads down through generations like a chain reaction unless someone takes the responsibility to break the chain. That responsibility rests with everyone down the chain.
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That’s true but plenty of people have shit childhoods and don’t grow up to be psychopathic rapists and murderers. However I guess it reaffirms the importance of helping kids and teenagers to break the cycle and deal with their issues before it escalates into disaster.
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I had a shit childhood but never turned into a psychopathic killer. Some people are just hardwired that way and others like Ted Bundy for instance came from good families but got addicted to violent porn and started acting out their fantasies. We may never know the reason why this guy acted in this horrible way.
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That’s exactly right, good parenting is wonderful and valuable as we all know, however parenting style alone does not cause a person’s psychopathy. Research has shown that psychopaths have structural abnormalities in their brains, they have less grey mater in the areas of the brain important for understanding other peoples’ emotions. In other words they are brain damaged. So whether you’ve been a good parent or not, if someone is born this way, there is a high chance they will exhibit psychopathic traits no matter what your style of parenting. The other side to the argument is this: if you had a lousy childhood… are you going to justify all your psychopathic behaviour based on being locked in the closet? I don’t buy it and I think it is a dangerous area that is explored again and again in our legal system – and often they win… they say, ‘Johnny had a bad childhood, he was deprived, that’s why he is the way he is’…
Regardless of our childhood, we are all responsible for what we do in life. I’m just not sure why this particular guy, after displaying such serial predatory behaviour was ever allowed to be wander our streets. Corrective Services put him on Sydney Street that night, so I would like to see the relevant authorities explain that to Jill’s family and to the Australian people.
I believe serial sex offenders should never be retuned to our communities. The recidivism rate for sex offenders is astronomically high – in some studies it has been shown at 85% (and that is taking into account the ‘known’ offences). Add that to the fact that they are more than likely born with a brain abnormality (born without empathy), I don’t see why such men are allowed to wander our streets and live in our communities amongst our women and children.
Jill would be alive today if this monster had been given a no parole sentence to reflect his significant and long criminal history – all offences were violent and against women. I think this needs addressing.
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So well said. You have summed up exactly where the problem lies.
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Another person coming from a shitty childhood – ie. alcoholic father who let me starve, suicidal mother constantly threatening to hang herself and telling me it would be my fault – and I am one of the most morally upstanding people you will ever meet. Most people I know who have faced adversity are generally more caring and empathetic. Off topic but just my bit for the day.
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Well done for you, Ellie … what a life to have come through. xox
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Ellie, you are amazing to come through that, what a tough childhood. I would love to hear more about your story if you were to ever consider submitting something to MM
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Me too! Would be excellent to hear how you recovered from such neglect
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I feel so incredibly sad for all Jill’s friends and family, but possibly worst of all for her co-worker, whose offer to walk Jill home was declined – how must he be feeling at the moment?
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And that will wake that poor man screaming for years.
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I have been thinking the same thing over the last couple of days.
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Ironically she would have been statistically at more risk of sexual assault from that man.
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2 weeks ago I did a womens self defence class. Boy it really hit home all I had learnt there. I am so sorry that this poor woman got caught in a really bad situation. It could happen to anyone of us. RIP Jill
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It just breaks my heart…
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I don’t quite understand why my comment from last night couldn’t be posted. I’m sure it contained nothing controversial or in contravention of the sites policies.
All I wanted to do was add my voice to those expressing their shock, sadness and sympathy. The title said it all for me…there could have gone I, or my daughter, or my sister, or my friends. It could have been our families grieving something so senseless and tragic.
RIP Jill…and my utmost and heartfelt sympathy to your family, friends and colleagues.
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I’m not sure why, but I really felt this would turn out ok. I’m so devastated that I couldn’t be more wrong.
I can’t help but think of the horrific information her husband and family would be getting from the police right now, and how they need to learn to live knowing this.
I was traveling home alone in a taxi as the same time on that Friday night, after more than a few too many wines after work. I’ve never found myself in an uncomfortable or scary situation, but easily could have many times. It worries me how many women have.
I think there is still an uneasy feeling in many Perth women about catching taxis alone, after the Claremont serial killings all those years ago. It may only be the 1%, but that small percentage is enough for me to proceed with caution.
RIP Jill.
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Sad to say this, but Australia is not the friendly easy going laid back society we like to think it is.
I am currently living in London and would never have thought that I would feel safer here than in my hometown, Melbourne. But there is a huge difference between the two cultures. Going out in Melbourne before I moved here was often scary…you would feel quite threatened by leering, abusive men walking the streets on a night out. Here, I walk the streets of the West End late at night and people are just minding their own business. Far less blokes drunkenly hanging about causing trouble. In 4 years I have never seen a drunken fight which was a regular occurrence when living in Melbs.
Something very wrong has been occurring in Melbourne over the past 10 years or so. There is an air of menace. Not sure what it is, but there is something going on with Australian menfolk.
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That is a very broad brush with which to pain an entire gender, dont you think?
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Im not saying ALL Australian men are dickheads, of course. But my husband and many of his mates over here notice such a difference. According to my husband, an accidental bump in a pub in Melbourne could result in a full blown fight, whereas here, to quote my husband, you would be more likely to get an ‘sorry mate’ response. To quote my hubby, he compared English blokes to golden retrievers and Aussie men to pitbulls.
That’s a guys own perspective on the difference between the two cities.
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In London you just get knifed, not bashed! Google the statistics by borough, it is disturbing.
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I think you’ll find most of those knifings are ‘gang’ related – not opportunist attacks on strangers.
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There are and always have been huge numbers of opportunistic attacks on strangers due to the volume of kids with knives growing up with no direction. Check the statistics, seriously.
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I have to disagree. I spent a few months in London and have lived in Melbourne for nearly a year. I didn’t feel any safer in London than I do in Melbourne. What I did notice, however, was that there are less people on the streets in London at night. Perhaps due to the weather or the financial struggles that many UK people are suffering right now?
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Not sure where you stayed during your visit to London, but even in the dead of winter there are heaps of people out and about – it is one of the biggest cities in the world – Melbourne is a minnow by comparison!
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I think the reason London appears safer is due to all the CCTV presence there. Just look at the London riots and how effective the CCTV footage was in identifying the trouble makers. I feel that we must have more CCTV on the streets and on public transport here. Luckily the owner of the boutique had CCTV in her shop because without it I wonder if the police would still be looking. Cameras do not lie.
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I disagree completely.
I live in Kensington, a really nice, posh part of London. In the 2 years I’ve lived here, my bike has been stolen, two of my friends have been mugged, one of them seriously injured and I have been threatened and followed home countless times. While Kensington is lovely, there is a large council estate about 10 minutes from my house, and there have been more than 5 fatal stabbings there in the last 6 months. Four were gang members but one was a mistaken identity/collateral damage assault. And these are the assaults that make it into the news. I’m sure there are more that I’m unaware of.
If you travel further out to the East/West of where I live, it gets worse. I went to Balham the other night, and I was followed by a group of guys in a car whilst walking to my friend’s house. I literally ran into the high street and hid in a kebab shop and called the police. This was about 7pm at night. I’ve been shaken up ever since and I get my husband to walk me home from the tube if I ever work late (it’s a 3 minute walk).
You compared the West End to Melbourne but I don’t think the comparison is valid. The West End is the tourist district, much like Sydney harbour or Federation Square in Melbourne. Those kind of areas tend to be safe because of high police numbers, lots of people around etc. As soon as you venture out of the tourist district, I feel like you become far more vulnerable.
I don’t disagree with your comment about Melbourne getting worse. I think that some parts definitely are. However, if you are going to make city comparisons, London is not the one to choose. I don’t feel that Melbourne or Sydney has ‘no-go’ zones the same way that London has.
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I lived in Shepherd’s Bush about a 10 min walk from the train station about 5 years ago. I was harassed by men on the street frequently on the way home from an evening drink. I still look back on those times with relief and can’t believe I put myself in such a dangerous situation more than once. London is just as dangerous as anywhere.
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My experience is completely the opposite of yours.
I lived in London for two year, and in that time three violent/aggressive acts happened against me – A girl punched me in a queue for laughing (with my friend, not at her!), two kids threw a bucket of mud over my head on my way to work (funny now, but oh so traumatic at the time) and a man tried to pull me into a car when I was walking alone at night, but I managed to run away.
I’ve never had anything even remotely violent or aggressive happen to me in Sydney or anywhere else in the world. And I have lived in a few Sydney suburbs that people tend to think are crimey.
But then again, that’s just my personal experience and I could have just been unlucky.
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How many women live in fear of being assaulted, not in public by a random stranger, but at home by someone they know? The anxiety and sorrow around the Jill Meagher case may be a symptom of a larger problem – the abuse of male power in private and public life.
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The reaction to this tragedy should be sorrow and anger, but to relate it back to every one of us, and talking of how to avoid this type of crime ourselves is an illogical over reaction. This is a horrific but extremely rare crime.
The reactions here stagger me. It would be like talking of that case at the casino where that guy was killed bouncers, and then everyone in australia talking about what tactics they can use when walking past casino bouncers, how lucky they are to be alive given the number of times they have been to a casino etc.
Sorry, but it is out of all context of reality now.
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No, it’s nothing like that. There are some events in life where human emotion kicks in and no amount of logic and rational thinking can help. This is one of those times. It’s no one’s worst nightmare to be killed by bouncers in a casino, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s most women’s worst nightmare to be raped and murdered.
Every woman (and many men) I have spoken to since this happened has been deeply shaken, it’s odd to me to come across someone who isn’t affected by this. You can’t explain everything in life by discussing statistics and probabilities, human nature is a lot more complex than that.
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I agree JK. It’s called empathy.
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No-one is saying that it’s a bad thing to react. But to keep having stories about it where people talk about something they did 15 years ago saying “OMG it could have been me!” is unhelpful and frankly it’s a bit of a pity party happening. Let this poor woman rest in peace. The guy is behind bars and I doubt he’ll see the outside of a prison again.
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Hi Kris
I disagree. I think many people – especially women – feel the need to ‘de-brief’ this event because it has frightened and saddened us.
And I disagree with the idea that what happened to Jill is rare.
Her murder was rare.
But women are rountinely harrassed. I, for one, have dozens of stories of being harrassed, stalked or followed (that thankfully didn’t end badly). The 1% statistic of sexual assaults by strangers are those that are a) successful and b) reported. I personally believe the statistic of women being the TARGET of random sexual assault would be much, much higher.
Every woman i know has at least one (if not several) of stories where she has been harassed or followed but has managed to get to safety or avert the situation.
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it is not a gender specific trait, fear. Ask any man how many times in a life time they have been hit, had fights picked on them by a group of drunks while just walking home minding your business, been man handled by drunk idiots etc. I guess it just is not manly to admit fear though, so society only hears about womens fear and negative experiences regarding things that happen ‘on the street’, and as a result, society starts to believe it is a female only issue. That is dangerous, as all violence, against anyone, is bad.
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So true.
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Kris, that’s a bit cold. Do you not notice that people obviously feel the need to talk about it because they are so shaken up. I don’t see how telling all those people to shut up is helpful either. Empathy is obviously not a concept everyone is familiar with.
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Even though I currently live overseas, this story hit me hard. I then found out that her body was discovered 2 streets away from the home of one of my closest friends. My thoughts are with Jill’s family and friends.
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As well as looking out for ourselves and our friends when leaving pubs in the wee hours (I love seeing bands in the inner city, and that’s not going to change) perhaps we should all now be more mindful of other women. Obviously not every single one will want or need company, but if you see a woman by herself who looks a bit uneasy, perhaps offer to walk with her or watch her while she gets to her car. I’m going to. I know now I will be less bashful about asking others. I went alone to a gig this week and walked back to my car by myself. There was a couple walking a few metres behind me (they’d been to the same show) and I was glad of their presence. I’ve never thought twice before but this time had a bit of extra gravity to it.
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I always make my husband walk our babysitter to her car after we’ve been out at night. We live in a narrow street and she cant always park outside our house and I just dont like the idea of her wandering down the street in the middle of the night on her own. She always insists she’s fine, but last night she accepted the offer.
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This is not a reminder of female vulnerability but a reminder of humanity itself. How can one human do this to another? Why is there such evil in our society? Our women and children (to a certain extent) should feel safe to roam the streets without fear for such horrific events like this. Animals who commit these atrocities need not be rehabilitated or kept alive via tax payer dollars but executed with the same callous disregard for life as their victims were. Two wrongs do not make a right but offenders like this deserve no second chance. My deepest sympathies to the greaving family. May you celebrate the life of a wonderful person, not mourn for the life she could of had.
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The thing is though, you guys also aren’t always completely safe to go about your business, either, because sometimes there’s the chance that some douchebag will beat you to death. In that case, the creep factor is coming from a different place than that of a sex attacker’s, but the result is just as devastating.
I just wish we knew why certain men turn out the way they do, then there might be solutions to keep all the rest of us safe.
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I’ve been thinking about this and I think the most realistic way to look at it (rather than poor us scared little women) is that it is indeed humanity. There are evil humans. There are violent humans. And people will come up against them, and sometimes they’ll come off second best and the crazy nutter will win.
I think that is what people who aren’t as scared to go about their business as others are accepting of. It doesn’t mean, as I think some people seem to take it, that when we’re out we accept offers of lifts or whatever from any random who pulls up, but rather we understand the risks we’re taking and accept that, and deal with it accordingly.
It’s abhorrent because it’s not normal, hence the media frenzy and ensuing hysteria from punters.
I don’t know that I agree with execution, but I agree with everything else you’ve said, Chris.
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So it’s ok for you to kill someone because you believe your reasons to be just? That’s what terrorists think, and we condemn them for it. If you read the real facts about the death penalty you might change your mind, I know I did.
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To the husband, family and friends of Jill, can I say that my deepest sympathies and biggest hugs are with you right now, if it is worth anything.
The next thing I want to say is that the posts and comments on Mamamia about the develpments in the Jill Meagher case have been so respectful, professional and compassionate at all times. Thank you. It is so easy to get caught up in the sensationalism of a story like this, thank you to everyone for keeping it grounded
My thoughts have been on Jill’s story all day, and pretty much all week. That it could have been me, my friends, my colleagues, the new checkout girl that I barely know.
As Mia says in this article, what are we going to take away from this? I don’t know what I’m learning. The fact that no matter how many strategies I use (phone in one hand, keys in another; taking a taxi no matter the distance; only walking home with a male, for my own protection; never walking home with a male, for my own protection; calling a friend when i get home) I am still at risk? The fact that I am in more danger from someone I know (99%, per the above statistics) than a random stranger?
I don’t know. I just don’t know.
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Would the public reaction to this incident have been so dramatic and heartfelt if she had been a prostitute? Homeless? Indigenous? I wonder.
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I haven’t been in Australia for this, but I have wondered what has made this case in particular such a (what I’ve been told) successful campaign to find her. I feel kind of bad for wondering, but I think along those lines as well.
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Probably not, considering most people can’t relate to what being a prostitute, homeless, or Indigenous is.
I am completely mortified by what I’ve been following the past week regarding Jill’s case. It deserves all the heartfelt sympathy and attention that it has received. However, every horrific case deserves this scale of attention and I’m sure they all don’t get it.
Sometimes I just can’t comprehend this world. Vicariously traumatised by what I’ve read the past week, and what I read in the world news every other week. I feel incredibly guilty for having my privileged life sometimes.
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I understand your point, and that is a very valuable and necessary dialogue in another context, but it’s insensitive and tacky to bring it up here. Not the time or place for making a point, imho.
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why is it tacky to bring it up here? it is an honest point and opinion regarding a news story not a letter to her family. This whole post is a new story not a shrine and people learn from hearing other peoples opinions.
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Yes, the reaction would probably be different. I suppose you can say this is Missing White Woman syndrome in a media sense,
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What I think resonated with me, as it probably did with many other people, is how similar she was to me. That’s the reason why people have opened their hearts and cried a few tears for her and her family.
This is not in any way to say that a prostitute or a homeless person or an indigenous person who met the same fate would also not have the same public response. But I am none of those, and I won’t apologise for that fact. This girl could have been many of us and thats why it has had such an impact.
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Exactly what I’ve been thinking.
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Probably not.
But the reason that so many are grieving and responding as we are, is because she was like us – and most of us don’t fit into those categories in society. She was a regular person, doing her thing. There was nothing special, different or sordid about her.
Her death has reminded us that we are all vulnerable.
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Fair point and you’re probably right. That’s a tragedy also. But it doesn’t negate this one.
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No because most of us are not prostitutes, homeless or Indigenous. Most of us are “regular” girls like Jill was, and that’s precisely why it has affected so many of us. I thought this would be pretty obvious by now considering that pretty much every comment I have seen has stated “this could have been me or my best friend or my sister.”
Nothing sinister about this, that’s just human nature. Most of us can’t relate to a homeless person or a prostitute who has been victim of a crime because we don’t spend our life on the street where we are so vulnerable and exposed to risk at all times, but most of us have done a 5 minute walk home by ourselves like Jill has, which is why it’s so easy to relate to.
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It is REALLY sad that Indigenous has, right here, been put in the same category as “homeless”, “junkie” and “prostitute”, as though if Jill had been an Indigenous woman, she couldn’t possibly have been a “regular” law abiding, working citizen like everyone else. What a sad, racist country we live in.
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I entirely agree – that was my reaction to Sam’s comment. Maybe he/she would react differently, but I know I wouldn’t…
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Eternal rest grant unto Jill O lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her, may her soul rest in peace.
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Eternal rest grant unto Jill O lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her, may her soul rest in peace.
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This has touched me so deeply. Partly because I have a younger 20 year old sister living in Brunswick and have been down Sydney Rd many times. I have followed this story all week desperately hoping for a positive outcome. I am incredibly sickened, disturbed and terrified by what happened to Jill. I have had to make a decision to try not to focus on the case any more as I had a bit of a freakout last night about it all. Although I know these cases are extremely rare it disgusts me that it still happens. I cannot understand how anyone could do such a horrific horrific thing to a completely innocent woman. I really hope we can improve our communities to ensure this never happens again. I was out tonight on the streets (only around 7pm) and questioning my safety and the people around me all due to what happened. Just makes you think and realise how vulnerable we can be as women. It is such a difficult thing to reconcile how fucked up people can be and the extent of their behaviour. We must be able to do something more to get these disgusting people off the streets. Anyway I have started a petition to get more CCTV along Sydney Rd in Brunswick as we know how invaluable that was to the case and was only available due to certain shopkeepers paying for it to be installed. I hope if it was on the street women would feel much safer and perpetrators would be deterred. You can sign it here if you agree http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/moreland-city-council-install-more-cctv-cameras-on-sydney-rd-brunswick
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Yes more cctv’s are great, but don’t buy into the illusion of safety. Their primary purpose is to be able to identify a perpetrator after the act – not deter them. Psychopaths are not deterred by possibly getting caught, rather, they are ‘excited’ by the thrill of it.
Better than cameras… recognise that serial predators are opportunistic, so try to not give them any opportunity. Yes it is our right as women to park where we want to park, walk where and when we want to walk… but it is also our right to be safe, and that requires wise choices daily.
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God I’m so sorry for the family. No-one should ever have to go through this pain. I can’t even imagine what Jill’s loved ones are going through.
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So so sad, I feel for Jill’s friends and family, I feel for the children Jill and her husband may have planned for and future they also will not have now. The ripple effect, we don’t know what we have lost with every tragedy like this.
I think once the first wave of fright settles some people will have changed and others will make changes to enhance their safety, Yes we should all be able to walk home stark naked if we please, but obviously we can’t if we want to stay safe.
Every time I hear of an attempted or actual child abduction I shit myself, I want to wrap my children up and not let them out until they are grown, but like the women who refuse to become captive to their fears I refuse to lock my children away, I just watch closely and hope I make the right choices.
I’m in WA and I cried when I saw the news this morning, I think we al knew it probably wasn’t going to have a happy ending, but shit I feel gutted
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Mamamia I agree with the intent of your item, but please keep in mind that this tragedy is nothing like 1 per cent. It’s once in two generations – last happened with Anita Cobby in the 1970s. It’s once in several million. Please, let’s keep in mind that this terribly sad event is rare, rare, rare. Stay out and about in Melbourne, young women! RIP wonderful Jill.
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What? Are you saying there have only been two rapes in the last forty years in Melbourne? Really?
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Anita Cobby was 1986, actually. But yeah, I totally agree with your comment. Stop the frenzy. Anita Cobby’s murderers are locked up never to be released, and the guy who got Jill Meagher is locked up now too. I was annoyed about the 1% thing and the general hysteria happening as well, Lucy.
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Agreed. What happened to Jill almost never happens and I cringe when the media instil fear in us in relation to things like this. Be diligent, yes, but not fearful
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But that’s the thing, haven’t we all been approached by some sleaze bag at night. I know I have, at night leaving the pub, when I’ve been out for a run and some guys gone past me twice and made a sleazy comment. I’ve always just brushed it off as “that dick head”. I can’t do that now, what if “that dickhead” wants to abduct me????? I normally run around a river/park land. Today I didn’t go, went to the gym instead. If a guy had approached me there again I would have been terrified. Fuck “blue hoodie guy” for making me feel like that.
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Do you really think this happens once every 2 generations, I don’t think so. What about all the women and children who go missing and are never found. Most of them have not had the media attention this case has had. Every person who goes missing without a trace may, tragically, have met a similar fate. There are a lot of very sick people out there who could be lurking, waiting for an opportunity to satisfy there urges….it’s a horrifying thought, so this is a lesson to all women out late at night…safety in numbers, don’t walk alone.
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Just for balance, it isnt only women and children that go missing. This seems to be a major theme at the moment, and it is simply wrong to spread this message. Look at crimes like Snowtown etc, and look at the genders of the victims.
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Last happened to Anita Cobby? What planet are you on?
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Sadly, Lucy it isn’t ‘once in two generations’. Sarah MacDiarmid, Janine Balding, Elizabeth Stevens, Debbie Frean, Natalie Russell, Sarah Spiers, Jane Rimmer, Ciara Glennon, Julie Cutler and more, were all snatched off the streets and murdered in recent times. Yes it’s rare, but is also a reality that women are faced with in a way that men are not.
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A reality that women are faced with in a way that men are not. Well put.
I don’t understand when people say this happens to men too, of course it does, that’s a given but its the vulnerability inherent in being a woman that’s the issue here.
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This last happened to Anita Cobby, are you serious? So you’re saying that no one has been raped by a stranger since 1986? Please get your facts straight before you post. Those two cases are similar because they were both high profile, what about all the cases that didn’t receive this much attention or all the missing women that were never found. Which, by the way, could have easily happened with Jill as well had she not been captured on video.
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To be phones I find the insinuation that this is a women’s issue that men can’t understand utterly distasteful. What about her husband? This tragedy has hit my boyfriend worse than me. He is afraid (I’m just pissed off and sad). He came by work this afternoon just to give me a hug ( he never does that). Imagine if a male journalist suggested women could never understand the pain of having their loved one raped and murdered. Of course, it may be true to a certain extent , but it is distasteful, the focus is wrong. Yelling than men can’t understand just alienates them when really we should be talking about how we all can best look out and look after each other.
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Oops can’t edit ‘to be honest’ not ‘phones!’
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To be fair, whilst sex crimes do effect men, it IS a women’s issue simply because of the fact that (outside of men’s prisons), the vast majority of victims are women, and from a very young age we are all warned about protecting ourselves against it – i.e. don’t wear certain clothes, carry a can of hairspray if you have to go out alone after dark (to spray in the eyes of an attacker), etc. I wonder how many men are warned about it? My guess is very few.
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I will attend the peace walk on Sunday as a show of respect and to take that time to think of all victims of violent crime. A simple decision to take a walk home instead of accepting a ride with a collegue. This man is known in area and has tried to grab other women. He has been hunting for a long long time. To make the decision to take a life after a brutal rape. I am reeling for this family, her hubby has shown nothing but bravery and strength! Tom is to be admired! My heart aches for him and the family. I wish them peace and strength. I think the prison system needs to be addressed, prisoners have far to many priviledges! They are criminals! Their life should not be that of comfort while serving a sentence! There are far to many do gooders that have cried out over the years and now prisoners are better off than pensioners! Honestly! They get paid for goodness sake! By taxpayers!
May the sun shine again for this family. My Jill rest in peace.
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Big call. How much do you actually know about the prison system?
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Clearly nothing. In fact, one of the best places to get raped or murdered in Australia is in prison.
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I don’t think you have any idea what prison life is like actually. I can assure you they don’t serve their time in comfort.
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I’ve been watching this story with a growing sense of dread. When the suspect was taken into custody I had a feeling – the i woke up this morning to the news that the body had been found.
My tears started as I watched the news bulletins tonight, seeing her husband. That he has to live the rest of his life without his soulmate, that he has to live the rest of his life knowing the horrors she experienced in her last moments… My heart is broken. I said “I can’t watch this anymore” to my husband and felt instantly selfish. If that’s how I feel, imagine how her family and friends are.
I’ve dealt with tragedy in my life. My mum’s best friend who was like a dad to me hung himself. I’ve never recovered. It’s been ten years, and I know I’ll NEVER recover, knowing he did that. My husband’s best friend dropped dead on a football field, a week after his 40th birthday (he was about 13 years older than my hubby but they met at work and just had that instant bond). He had married his beautiful wife 2 years before, we’d only been on holidays with them two months before he left us. Just last night, I heard the song “Flame Trees” and sobbed for about an hour. Because he was one of the funniest, sweetest, loyalist, passionate and intelligent men I’ve ever known, and even though its been years, and his wife has remarried – I still miss our friend. I still have the emails he used to send me after each episode of Australian Idol which would make me cry with laughter – and I still read them. Because I need to remember that once upon a time, not so long ago, the sweetest and funniest guy was here on earth, and he was my friend. If he was still here, he’d be changing the world with his passion for worker and human rights.
I don’t say this to make it about me. I say this because I know how hard it is. Because there is an “accepted” amount of time for grieving. Nobody gets that yes, it’s been 7 years, but last night “flame trees” came on my iPod and I was instantly transported to that room where we said our goodbyes. No one gets that I still have a towel my mum’s best friend gave me – and I used it today – and my husband was out and I was alone and I cried for 20 minutes because I missed the guy who gave me “boss/slave” towels for my engagement with a card that said “you have to decide which one belongs to you my gorgeous girl” and remembered that even though he’d promised, he couldn’t dance with me at my wedding to “Volare” by Dean Martin – because he was gone.
I send my love, my prayers, my wishes of strength to her family. I wish for them to find – well, not peace, because I don’t think they’ll have that – but the strength to go on – because sometimes people (read my mum’s best friend) can’t go on without the person they lost and took the easy way out. And I hope each and every person hugs someone they love today, or tell someone you love them, or give a stranger a smile or some assistance. Because all we have in the face of evil is love. Love HAS to be stronger than hate, and we have to make sure it is by expressing it as much as possible.
RIP Jill. RIP angel.
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Hi Beckala
It sounds like both of those men were wonderful, beautiful people. I teared up when I read about your engagement present.
I would have loved to have met them and I hope you find comfort in the knowledge that you got the chance to. It sounds like their time with you made your life much richer. I hope they are at peace.
Big hugs your way…
JBx
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Just like everybody else, this whole ordeal has taken over my head and my heart like nothing has before, I don’t know why I feel so involved and sad about it because when other people have gone missing I have felt sad but haven’t really taken it like i have this time, it feels like a I know Jill and her family and husband and I jut feel so so sad for them, it’s such an unnecessary thing to have happened and I wish I cold have prevented it somehow. This whole week i havent been ale to get it out of my mind and like some of you guys i’ve been checking the Internet for updates throughout the day all week hoping there wold be good news. It’s also really worried me because I think this kind of thing could happen to my girlfriend, even though she doesn’t go out at night and stuff, but it still makes me worry
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I am so upset for Jill, her family, for the ABC, for Brunswick, for all women everywhere.
But my overriding feeling is one of anger – how DARE anyone launch such a sickening attack on such an innocent person, and how DARE they terrify women everywhere by making them feel they need to change their perfectly normal and reasonable behaviour to beware of such dangers?
One or more people on here posted that they would never walk home again. I think that’s a completely natural response and empathise with it, but it’s the opposite to how I feel. I am absolutely going to walk home at night when and if I feel like doing so. I will be wary of course, and on the ball, but as I walk I will be thinking a big “fuck you” to the man that did this to Jill and anyone who wants to take our safety away in the same manner. No way should we let these sorts of people win.
RIP Jill. I hope you can know how much we all care about you. xoxox
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I feel so angry and disgusted too. I don’t know how Jill’s husband and brother sat there in court in front of that sick, pathetic, horrific man. I feel such rage at his disgusting behaviour that I almost the death penalty should be reinstated to deal with these creeps…however I guess that puts him out of his misery (if he feels any which is doubtable).
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Kitten, I respect your decision to walk home at night on your own, being vigilant at the same time. I understand you want to rise above it all, shove it back in the faces of men that do these sort of things and make clear that they can’t put fear into the hearts of women. I admire your courageous nature, I really do. But the thing that really worries me is that you may be starting this “war” with people that are possibly not even sane…what good would logic be against them? And it’s not like serial killers, rapists, or people that feel no remorse or have no limits walk around with a sign hanging from their necks. They’d look like ordinary men walking down the street and going against these sort of people demanding peacefully that they respect your right to walk at night freely really doesnt seem like it will end nicely for you.
Please, pleaseee, you can walk home at night but please have someone walk with you, preferable a male. A psychopath/rapist/murderer will not listen to reason and give you space or respect you for standing your ground – they’ll just come right for you. It would be horrifying to have another repeat of Jill’s case; please be smart about this. It would hurt me so much if I read another incident like poor Jill’s on the news and wonder if she was one of those who decided to show insane people she’s not scared.
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Kitten, I understand you are angry but I don’t understand your thinking here. You want to put yourself in danger to prove a point and to win?
Win what? Unfortunately these evil psychos have always been around and will probably always be around, and if you ever come across one in the middle of the night, I really don’t think they are going to care about your “fuck you, I am an awesome woman” attitude. They have no empathy and you can’t reason with them. Please be smart.
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When this case is through the courts we should be marching the streets in honour of Jill and demanding that sentencing reflects community sentiment.
Any violence against a woman or child should result in life. That’s it. No parole so they can get out and perfect their craft. Lock them up, throw away the key and I don’t care how much extra tax I pay to do it.
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Rest in peace beautiful Jill. My heart breaks for Jill and her family and thet are all in mg thoughts. Perfect words mia, your pist sums up how so many of us feel.
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My heartfelt condolences to Jill Meagher’s husband, family & friends. I can only imagine the pain, confusion, anger, loss and myriad of emotions you would all be experiencing.
Like Mia says, and many posts here confirm, it has also struck home to me, how many risks I have taken, which I honestly didn’t see as risks, as it’s a short 100m stroll from the pub to my home in a ‘safe’ suburban area.
I don’t like to live my life in fear, but I do like to be sensible about my personal safety. I do feel a sense of confusion about whether I may be over reacting – as I stay under lights, and walk close to the actual road where the cars are, walk with my keys between my fingers and am hyper alert, even after a few drinks.
As the reality is that it’s too close for a cab to agree to take you. And often in another direction to where friend’s may be heading, if it is a case of everyone leaving at the same time.
So what are the options? Not go out so as we don’t have to walk home? Insist a friend accompany you home?
It feels so wrong to have to worry about 100m. But then Jill most probably had exactly that same thought!
The ‘opportunistic’ word the police used to describe the motivation behind this heinous crime has certainly rattled me personally. And I feel very deeply for those that have to deal directly with the loss of Jill from their lives at the hands of this ‘opportunistic’ creep.
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