“We’ve already lost eight women this year alone, allegedly due to violence from their partners. This is approximately five times higher than the national average based on last year’s statistics,” she noted.

“The Northern Territory experiences homelessness at a rate 12 times the national average. Initiatives like the escaping violence payment are beneficial in theory, but they fall short if there are no available resources or shelters.”

“The impact of these tragedies is generational. It’s hard to overemphasize the profound effect these deaths have on the victims’ friends, families, and the broader community.”

New data underscores the gravity of the situation: the Northern Territory continues to have the highest rates of domestic, family, and sexual violence globally. Alarmingly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are seven times more likely to be victims of intimate partner homicide compared to the national average.

Coroner Armitage’s report highlights trauma, grief, and systemic disadvantage as key contributors to the domestic, family, and sexual violence crisis in the Territory.

The anniversary also coincides with the start of the global 16 Days of Activism campaign – a reminder, AMSANT says, that the Territory cannot afford another year of delay.