This is a huge, big old trigger for murder & rape.

I’m not sure if this has been on the news internationally, but on Wednesday morning, the half naked body of Aiia Maarsarwe was found in shrubbery in Melbourne. She was 21.

In June 2018, the body of Eurydice Dixon was found in similar circumstances, in Melbourne. She was 22.

Later on that year, Toyah Cordingley’s body was found on a Queensland beach. She was 24.

In 2012, Jill Meagher’s body was found. Same thing happened to her. In Melbourne. She was 29.

In my state, Western Australia, family murders were too frequent last year.

One grandfather killing his wife, daughter, grandchildren and himself in May 2018. July 2018, a 19 year old man killed his mother and two siblings. September 2018, a man killed his wife and three daughters. A day later, he killed his mother in law, in the same house.

I was 13 when Jill was killed, so I don’t remember the public’s response.

Eurydice was walking a route she knew well, and was 2 minutes from home when she was killed. She walked through a park in the early hours of the morning. That’s where she died. Politicians and police told women to be more careful. The nation was outraged.

Toyah was attacked and killed while she was walking her dog on the beach, like she did everyday. I saw people on Facebook blaming her dog for not keeping her safe (ridiculous, I know).

Aiia got off the tram at midnight, 1km from her home. She was on FaceTime with her sister back in Israel, when she was killed. Her sister heard everything but couldn’t do anything. So far, we haven’t been told what we should do to keep ourselves safe.

I never walk alone at night. It’s too dangerous. My partner’s house is only a five minute walk, but I never walk alone when it’s dark. If I have to catch public transport at night, I hold my keys between my fingers. Sometimes I will hold my water bottle in my hand so I can use it like a weapon. I always make sure it’s full. Like Aiia, I call people when I feel unsafe. I don’t think that is going to keep me safe anymore.

What can we do? How can we keep ourselves safe when our protective behaviours aren’t keeping us safe?