Sabrina Lekaj is the 20 year old Adelaide woman found dead in her car

Her name is Sabrina Lekaj

Sabrina Lekaj
Sabrina Lekaj. Hers is another name we’ve learned for the worst of reasons.

The 20 year old university student was found murdered in her car near her Adelaide home late on Sunday evening.  Her mother had called the police an hour earlier worried for her safety.

Her father was found by police in the car with her at the time and was in a critical condition. He remains in hospital.

On Tuesday night the South Australian police released a statement saying they expect to charge him with his daughter’s murder.

Lekaj’s ‘credentials’ shouldn’t matter. Any 20 year old being killed, anywhere, under any circumstances, is a brutal tragedy. Savage, unwarranted misfortune.

But, knowing, as we now do, that Sabrina Lekaj was gifted academically, that she was a talented pianist, that she was ambitious and kind and well-liked, makes her murder all the more egregious to contemplate.

At 20, a young adult ideally has their life in front of them. However they intend to fill it, time ought to be their ally. This isn’t always so. Illness and accidents can and do intervene cruelly.

But when it’s violence that robs a young person of their future, the tragedy is cataclysmic. When that act of violence is perpetrated by someone the victim knew and likely loved? There simply aren’t words.

In less than a week, three horrific stories have made news in Australia involving extreme violence and death in and between family members.

In Sydney on Saturday a 57-year-old woman from St Clair in New South Wales, Rita Camilleri, was murdered in unimaginably horrific circumstances. Her daughter has been charged with murder.

On Sunday morning a 52 year old man died in a Sydney shopping centre. Before he fell from the fourth floor, a 14 year old girl, believed to be his daughter had run from their family home fearing for her life. She was found with stab wounds and was taken to hospital.

These horrific events occurred in Australia in just three days. How can we even begin to quantify the human cost of these traumas?

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au

In an emergency, call 000.

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