Police believe they have found the body of Gold Coast woman Wendy Sleeman, more than two days after she went missing.
The 61-year-old’s body was found in the back of a car in a rented garage at a property in Windsor in Brisbane.
It comes after her 30-year-old son, Slade Murdok, was charged with multiple domestic violence related offences including kidnapping after she went missing on Tuesday.
The body found is yet to be formally identified, but police have confirmed they are confident it is her.
“Tragically, the body of a woman we believe to be Wendy was found inside the vehicle. This is a devastating outcome for her loved ones and our thoughts remain with them,’ Superintendent Brendan Smith said.
‘I’d like to thank the public for their assistance during the investigation into her disappearance and death and appeal to anyone who may have seen the blue Honda jazz with Queensland registration 952-AT4 to contact police, particularly residents of south Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast.”
Sleeman went missing after she called police to report a break-in at her home on Tuesday afternoon.
Police said they were led to the rented garage in Windsor after a forensic examination of electronic devices.
Sleeman is the fifth Australian woman to be killed this year.
As the devastating toll of violence against women continues to grow, new police data shows reports of sexual assault in NSW have surged in the two weeks since the start of a new anonymous reporting system.
According to an article published by The Sydney Morning Herald, more than 300 reports have been lodged on the online portal in two weeks. It’s nearly one third of the total number of reports made in 2021.
With the NSW election just months away, sexual and domestic violence is at the forefront of policy output from both the Coalition and Labor.
This week, we have seen a number of announcements from the government, including the promise of more electronic ankle bracelets to better track domestic violence offenders, as well as a new trial that will allow people to check if their partner has a history of domestic violence.
Meanwhile, NSW Labor has said it will double funding for Women’s Health Centres across the state, promising $100 million over five years.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.