Jill Meagher
I felt an overwhelming sadness looking at the beautiful face of Sarah Cafferkey. Bearing an uncanny resemblance, in its light, beauty and openness, to the other young Melbourne woman, Jill Meagher, who also lost her life as a result of a senseless and thuggish attack. Can anybody tell me why?
Sarah Cafferkey was all of 22 years of age. She’ll never even know how it feels to celebrate her 30th birthday. As her mother, Noelle Dickson said in a statement this morning.
The tragic and horrific rape and murder of Jill Meagher as she made the short walk to her Brunswick home, stirred up an unprecedented, emotional gut reaction in many of us. Some of us felt angry, others felt sadness, shock, bewilderment.
Many of us also felt fear. Fear as we watched our worst nightmare, the stuff of Wednesday night crime shows, became a reality for a woman we didn’t know, but felt a deep, unexpected empathy for. Empathy spurred by the knowledge that it could have been any one of us. Jill was simply the unlucky one that night.
She wasn’t doing anything extraordinary. She’d attended a work function, had a few drinks and was walking home. It was during that short, five-minute journey that Jill became the innocent victim of an opportunistic predator.
Continue reading "Urging women to take care is not “victim blaming”" »
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chris says:
Lets put the constraining boot on the other foot- instead of telling women not to go out at night why don’t we HAVE A CURFEW FOR MEN yep that would solve the problem alright. Oh but of course men have rights - they have the right to go out at… Read more »
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Louise says:
Women like me are glad you’re around Tim the Toolman Read more »
Jill Meagher’s brutal death was seismic; it jolted us into grief and helplessness. Psychologists compared the outpouring of sadness over the Melbourne woman’s murder to that which followed Princess Diana’s death, when millions who’d never met her mourned her as a loved one.
Because Ms Meagher’s death appeared to be so random, it felt as though it could have been anyone, and we scrabbled for answers. One of the answers we found was surveillance; more CCTV cameras. Her mother called for them, and others joined the cry; Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu pledged $3 million for councils to put more cameras in.
What people seem to be missing here is that this crime was shocking at least partly because it was so unusual. The stranger, generally, is not the danger.
Continue reading "It’s usually not the stranger who’s dangerous" »
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Naomi says:
No, I’m not making up facts to bolster my argument. See the following link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/10/study-children-fare-better-traditional-mom-dad-fam/?page=all And of course women in abusive situations should have choices beyond putting up with it. I’m talking more about the non-abusive situations where women could be encouraged to rekindle the flame rather than write the… Read more »
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the end of usa says:
don’t worry about the people who you don’t know worry about those that you do know Read more »
Most of us didn’t know Jill Meagher; now we never will. Her story and its tragic ending have stunned the whole country.
As Lucy wrote, it’s the uncomfortable thought that this could have happened to anyone that somehow makes this more personal.
Police found her body early this morning, and a man has been charged with her rape and murder. All the details are here, at news.com.au.
Continue reading "Our thoughts are with Jill Meagher’s family" »
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Tory Shepherd says:
Hey Punchers; sorry, but we’re going to have to close comments on this post now. It’s just too risky with people wanting to discuss the case. Thanks everyone for the kind wishes to Jill’s family. Read more »
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Shane* says:
Be proud you live in a country where this still dominates headlines, talk-back, social media and mobilises an entire police force. Be proud that we all felt this loss so deeply. Be proud that we still feel pain despite all the junk happening in the world. Be proud that meaningless… Read more »
A surprisingly honest tarot reader at ‘Psychic Tarot Insights’ has tried to locate Jill Meagher.
Here’s the surprisingly honest (if understated) bit:
“Tarot is not considered 100 per cent accurate by law and I cannot claim to solve issues only show what I have in the cards.”
Continue reading "ICB: Psychics who want to find Jill Meagher" »
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Gypsy nihonin says:
I predict, around the hour of 8 bells past midday, comments will not be posted on this article anymore. Read more »
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nihonin says:
subotic the tattooed bearded lady, guess they were half right then, I take it you do like women. Read more »
One of the most uncomfortable things about the known details of Jill Meagher’s shocking disappearance is that this is a situation that could happen to anyone.
At 29, Jill Meagher is just like thousands of other young sisters, daughters, friends and acquaintances, heading out for Friday work drinks.
How many times have you heard someone confess after a night out that they “probably shouldn’t have walked that way home.”
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Libber says:
No, I think this is a misquote. 159 incidents occurred ‘on the street’ meaning the abductions were from a street as opposed to a house, or a venue or perhaps a park. Not meaning ‘on that particular street’. Read more »
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So? says:
So, if she doesn’t come home safely we can assume either God didn’t care or isn’t there. Noice. Read more »
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