Thousands of people have marched to end gender-based violence in Sydney and Melbourne today, including the family of murdered teenager Isla Bell.
More than 8,500 people marched through Melbourne from Birrarung Marr to Treasury Gardens, drawing the largest crowd the event has ever seen.
Among the crowd was the family of 19-year-old Bell, whose remains were found on Tuesday at the Dandenong tip.
Police allege Bell was murdered by 53-year-old Marat Ganiev in St Kilda East on October 7, after she went missing on October 4.
Her family, including her uncle and cousins, attended the march today.
Her uncle Keiran Dionysus read the words that Bell’s mother, Justine Spokes wrote the night before to the crowd.
“I’m horrified to read the grizzly details of my beloved daughter’s murder… my grief is paralyzing and I cannot function,” he read to the crowd.
Her cousin, Caitlin Brown, also spoke to 9News at the rally.
“We all love Isla so much in our family, she was taken far too soon and it wasn’t fair,” she said.
“We just want to say that she’s loved and she’s cared for, and we hope justice is served.”
In New South Wales, crowds marched through Coogee, in Sydney’s east, joined by NRL players, community activists and victim-survivors.
NSW Police are called to a domestic violence-related incident every four minutes on average, Police Commissioner Karen Webb said.
Victims are assaulted 27 times on average before a call to police is made.
Rabbitohs player Cameron Murray participated in the walk and was joined by his teammates.
“Having a little girl now, it’s a little bit closer to my heart,” Murray told 9News.
“Hopefully as she gets older it becomes less and less prevalent.”
More than 80 women have been allegedly murdered in Australia this year.
One woman is killed by their partner every 11 days on average in Australia.
Every fourth woman in Australia is a victim of domestic violence.
The rallies today mark the start of a 16-day global campaign for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
