Three women died in separate incidents during a 12-hour period on Saturday in New South Wales, and police have since charged three men with domestic violence-related murders.
A woman in her 90s was found with stab wounds inside her unit at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Police were called to the scene at about 5.15pm. Paramedics treated the woman, but she died at the scene. A 47-year-old man was arrested, charged with domestic violence-related murder, and refused bail.
Earlier that day, at about 11.45am, a 23-year-old woman was found with fatal stab wounds inside a home in Wagga Wagga, in south-west NSW. A 31-year-old man was arrested almost nine hours later at another home in the regional city and was later charged with murder. Investigators said the pair were in a relationship.
On Saturday evening, police responding to a reported domestic violence incident at Mole River in the state’s north at about 9.35pm found the body of a woman in her 70s. Investigators believe a 37-year-old man entered a property and tried to steal a vehicle before assaulting a 74-year-old male resident. A search of the neighbouring property led officers to the woman’s body; part of the house had been damaged by fire. The man, charged with murder, is alleged to have been known to the victim.
The two accused in the Sydney and Wagga Wagga cases were due to appear in court on Sunday. The 37-year-old man was refused bail to appear on Monday.
NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane said she was “horrified” by the deaths. “These deaths are not isolated,” she said. “According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, a woman was killed every 11 days in 2024-25 by her intimate partner,” she said. “Women of every age, from a 23-year-old to a woman in her 90s, are still not safe in their own homes.”
Premier Chris Minns described the incidents as “shocking crimes” and said families were “dealing with unimaginable grief.”