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.
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.
Top Comments
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.
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.
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!