Hundreds of people took to the streets of Gosford in NSW’s Central Coast on Sunday demanding government intervention to the crisis of men’s violence against women after the death of 19-year-old local athlete Audrey Griffin, who was allegedly murdered by Adrian Noel Torrens in late March.
Several politicians were present at the march, including Labor MP for Robertson, Gordon Reid; former Labor candidate for Terrigal, Sam Boughton; and Liberal candidate for Robertson Lucy Wicks, who posted footage of herself walking among a crowd of umbrella-clad protesters, shouting “No excuse for violent men.”
“I stood with my community at a powerful rally against violence. Together, we say: Australia says no more,” Wicks wrote on Instagram.
This morning, she released a statement declaring the Coalition would pledge $20 million for a Domestic Violence Trauma Recovery Centre in Gosford. Labor has also promised to deliver $20 million for the centre.
At a press conference this morning on the Central Coast, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “Well, this is a tragic and horrific death, and my heart goes out to the family and the friends and loved ones of Audrey Griffin. This announcement [of a trauma centre], of course, wouldn’t have impacted on that.”
“One death from violence against women is one too many, and this is just an enormous tragedy.”
The CEO of Central Coast Women’s Health also responded to the announcement, saying, “It’s just devastating, and it’s actually really hard to find the words, because how is it that we’re still in a time where a young woman can’t walk home safely.”
“This trauma recovery centre is fantastic, but let’s stop the trauma in the first place,” Sara Foster said.
More than five hundred protesters marched through heavy rain, starting at the Gosford Waterfront Park and concluding at the Central Coast Leagues Club, where powerful speeches were delivered by young women and victim survivors.
The participants were heard shouting a range of rallying cries during the march, including: “Say it once, say it again! No excuse for violent men! When our right to safety is under attack, stand up, fight back!” And “24 too many! How many more? Stop killing women! Change the law!”
According to the Australian Femicide Watch, at least 24 women have been killed this year due to violence.
Protesters carried signs that read “Stop killing women”, “Women’s rights are human rights”, “#24 too many”, “No excuse for violent men”, “Girls just wanna be safe” and “Our girls deserve change.”
One of the event organisers on Sunday said that Griffin’s death had left the Gosford community “horrified” and that her death should not have happened.
Just days before the protest, Gumbs had created the event on social media with the hashtag “#23TooMany”, referring to the 23 women at the time who had been killed by violence in Australia.
Fellow protest organiser, Brianna Harvey addressed the crowd during the event, telling them that violence is “not random, it is a pattern and it is preventable”.
Chief executive of What Were You Wearing Australia, Sarah Williams described the protests on Sunday as “a day to rage and demand action,” and hoped that it would generate anger among more Australians.
A petition created by What Were You Wearing Australia is calling for more action from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and all federal election candidates. The petition has thus far garnered over 13,000 signatures.
“We are outraged that the leading candidates for Prime Minister have failed to speak publicly about domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) in Australia during this election period,” the petition states. “It is unacceptable, especially as women continue to be killed every week, children are traumatised by violence, and survivors are being turned away from services due to lack of funding.”
The petition is calling for increased, long-term funding for Life-Saving Services, long-term housing pathways for victim survivors, and mandatory Trauma-Informed Training for First Responders. It also called on politicians to make a public commitment towards tackling the national crisis of domestic, family and sexual violence.
Last Thursday, Torrens was found dead in his prison cell while he was in custody. Before he was arrested, he was known to police and had a history of domestic violence abuses and breaching AVOs.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000.
If you need help and advice call 1800Respect on 1800 737 732, Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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