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A 51-year-old woman whose body was found in an Alice Springs riverbed is the Northern Territory’s first alleged victim of domestic violence homicide in 2025, police say.
The woman’s 49-year-old partner has been arrested and remained in custody, Acting Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley said on Monday.
The man had contacted police at 12.20am on Monday and advised that the woman was unresponsive near the Todd River.
Police arrived 11 minutes later and attempted CPR, but the woman was declared dead a short time later.
“We are treating the assault as a homicide and the crime scene is still open,” Mr Malley said.
“(It’s alleged) a weapon has been used, it wasn’t an edged weapon but it was a weapon.”
It was the first domestic violence homicide in the NT this year and the start to the year had been “horrible”, Mr Malley said.
“It’s not what we wanted or expected, we are doing a lot of work out there in the community (related to domestic violence),” he said.
“The prisons are full and overflowing, and I expect that will have a follow-on to the safety of the community, which is our focus.”
Detectives are urging anyone with information to contact police or make an anonymous report to Crime Stoppers.
Eight Aboriginal women died as a result of domestic violence in the NT between June and November, 2024.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are eight times more likely to die by homicide.
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