Australians have become desensitised to reports of women and children being murdered and the government needs to drastically improve education to prevent it, according to a leading advocate against domestic abuse.
Rachael Lloyd, the chief executive of Lokahi Foundation, an NGO supporting women and child victims of domestic or family abuse, said misconceptions around abusive relationships continue to determine how women are treated.
“Even in 2026, people still ask why she didn’t just leave,” she said. “It shows a total lack of understanding. A lack of understanding of the broken systems that people face when they do leave.
“We need increased education around violence experienced by women and children. If people understood how difficult it is to leave, maybe they would be more supportive.
“The community have become immune to reports of women and children being murdered.
“We need to remember that women and children being murdered is not normal. It should shock us.”
According to the Australian Femicide Watch toll, 49 women and 19 children alone have died so far in 2026, while the latest stats on recorded crimes in Australia for the 2024-25 financial year showed an eight per cent rise in family and domestic violence related offences on the previous year.
And, data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows one in four Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15.
Having a long-term caseworker really has such a positive impact on these families’ lives in supporting them to live free from abuse.
Lloyd, herself a domestic violence survivor, said she wished she had been better prepared for the reality after leaving, adding that the response must go beyond telling women to simply leave abusive relationships and instead provide ongoing care and case management to rebuild their lives
“It’s a need to tackle this issue from start to end,” she said. “The abuse doesn’t end when you leave.
“I wish that I would have been better prepared for the future. But also that I would once again thrive.”
After rebuilding her own life and raising two children, Lloyd founded Lokahi, named after the Hawaiian word for unity, in 2016 and claimed 97 per cent of the charity’s clients did not return to abuse, proving the beneficial affect of long-term support and case management.
“The whole sector has to be funded effectively, not just from government but from philanthropy and businesses so the whole community comes together to tackle this epidemic,” she said.
“Having a long-term caseworker really has such a positive impact on these families’ lives in supporting them to live free from abuse.”
For the women who continue to be affected by domestic and family violence, Lloyd has one simple message.
“You don’t have to do it alone.”
Main image of Rachael Lloyd supplied by Lokahi.
