Magda Szubanski compares Melbourne’s violence against women ‘epidemic’ to US gun massacres

‘It’s our version of mass shootings’: Magda Szubanski compares a string of allegedly murdered women in Melbourne to U.S. gun crime as she attends a vigil for Courtney Herron

  • Actor Magda Szubanski among hundreds of mourners at a vigil for Ms Herron 
  • Vigil was held in the Melbourne park where the 25-year-old’s body was found  
  • The actor compared violent crimes against women to mass shootings  

Actor Magda Szubanski was among hundreds of mourners who attended a vigil for Courtney Herron on Friday evening in the Melbourne park where her body was found. 

Speaking to The Project after the vigil, Ms Szubanski compared a string of horrific violent crimes against women in Melbourne to gun violence in the United States. 

‘We’re all in this together and we need to find solutions, because the rate of this, it’s almost to the point now where it’s our version of mass shootings,’ the 58-year-old actor said. 

Actor Magda Szubanski was among hundreds of mourners who attended a vigil for Courtney Herron on Friday evening 

The body of Courtney Herron, 25, was found in Melbourne's Royal Park last Saturday morning

The body of Courtney Herron, 25, was found in Melbourne’s Royal Park last Saturday morning 

‘Male violence is perpetrated against woman but it is also perpetrated against themselves… We have to be less adversarial… We need to find common solutions and reach out to one another.’ 

Ms Szubanski said that there was a growing air of concern in Melbourne about the increasing frequency of these types of crimes. 

Ms Herron’s death is less than a year after another woman was found dead in a Melbourne park. 

Eurydice Dixon’s body was discovered in Princes Park in Carlton North in June last year, just a few kilometres away. 

The 22-year-old was raped and murdered while walking home from the city at night.  

Aiia Maasarwe, 21, allegedly suffered a similar fatal attack on her walk home near La Trobe University on January 15.

Speaking to The Project after the vigil Ms Szubanski compared the recent spate of horrific violent crimes against women in Melbourne to gun violence in the United States

Speaking to The Project after the vigil Ms Szubanski compared the recent spate of horrific violent crimes against women in Melbourne to gun violence in the United States 

Ms Herron's death is less than a year after another woman was found dead in a Melbourne park

Ms Herron’s death is less than a year after another woman was found dead in a Melbourne park 

In April, Natalina Angok’s body was found dumped in Chinatown, allegedly killed by her one-time partner Christopher Allen who has been charged. 

Friday’s vigil for Courtney, held in Melbourne’s Royal Park, was organised by We Keep Vigil – a group that organises vigils for women who have been the victims of violence in Australia. 

The group has organised 20 vigils in the last five months. 

Melanie Raymond from Youth Projects, an organisation that provides services for at risk youth, told the program that services for homeless youth are inadequate.   

‘Homelessness services are at breaking point… having to turn people away or refer them to places that they know are not very good… We all have to work together to put a stop to this,’ she said. 

Courtney’s father John Herron released a statement on Friday expressing his family’s pain over the loss of their daughter. 

‘Our beloved Courntney was the victim of a fatal assault… My daughters death is an unimaginable tragedy for our family,’ the statement read. 

"We need to find common solutions and reach out to one another,' Ms Szubanski said

‘We need to find common solutions and reach out to one another,’ Ms Szubanski said 

 

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