Arabic version: وقفة في ملبورن تكريماً لجايدا ألين بونر

According to ABC News, hundreds of mourners gathered in Melbourne to honour Jayda Allen Bonner, a 21-year-old Indigenous woman killed at an inner-suburban apartment complex last weekend. A smoking ceremony was held in her memory before supporters marched down Bourke Street to Victoria’s Parliament.

Ms Allen Bonner’s mother, Jade Allen, wore a shirt carrying her daughter’s image and the words “Justice for Jayda”. She described her daughter as fiercely devoted to her family and said she wanted people to speak up rather than keep violence quiet. Ms Allen said she wanted to ensure Jayda’s name would not be forgotten.

Her aunt, Kellie Carter Bell, called Ms Allen Bonner a “gentle soul with a heart of gold” and urged Australians to do more to address violence against women. “We’re living with wars behind our doors,” she said, adding that people should consider how they can help victim-survivors leave safely.

A 31-year-old man was charged with murder this week and briefly appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court. Police said he was known to Ms Allen Bonner. Victoria Police said the October 10 death of a young woman in Carlton was suspicious and that the Homicide Squad was leading the investigation.

Antoinette Braybrook, chief executive of Aboriginal family violence service Djirra, said Ms Allen Bonner’s death was devastating and called for scrutiny of the police response before her death. The family had previously said Ms Allen Bonner made a complaint to police about her safety but later withdrew it, and that relatives who contacted police were told nothing could be done because she was an adult. Victoria Police said it would thoroughly examine any prior interactions with the victim while the investigation continues.