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Parliament House vigil organised for WA mother who died in her home

The family of Tiffany Woodley have organised the vigil for Wednesday night, asking people to bring along a candle to remember her.

TAMIL BILOELA FAMILY VIGIL

Attendees will bring along a candle to remember the 35-year-old mother. Source: AAP / Stefan Gosatti/AAP Image

WARNING: Distressing content

Family and friends of a much-cherished mother have organised a candlelight vigil outside Parliament House in Perth.

Tiffany Woodley, 35, was found dead at her house on August 7 and her alleged killer was arrested at the property.
The mother of three suffered severe injuries but police say they do not believe a weapon was involved.

Rosalie Miller-Kickett, Tiffany's aunt, asked people to bring a candle in support of their family at the vigil on Tuesday and to shine a light on violence.

She said Tiffany had been a loving and gentle woman with a zeal for life.

More needs to be done to stop the violence

Western Australian Greens Senator Dorinda Cox, who is a member of a parliamentary inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and children, said everyone had a role to play in stopping violence.

"What we really need now is the community to wrap their arms around the family in these horrific circumstances," she said.

"This now is a case of young children who no longer have their mum and a family that is grieving.

"The visibility of Tiffany's story is really important because it's not just another Black woman's death, this is a story of a woman whose resilience and survival was key to her, protecting her family and particularly her children."
Advocate Megan Krakouer, who has been supporting Ms Woodley's family, said domestic violence in WA cannot be addressed without substantive First Nations representation.

"Domestic violence hits First Nations families dramatically disproportionately because of generational disproportionate impoverishment of our people," she said.

"The lived experience must be substantively represented and be among our experts."
National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services spokesperson Hannah McGlade, a legal and human rights academic, told AAP there should be an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Ms Woodley's death.

Dr McGlade said Aboriginal mothers in WA were 17.5 times more likely than non-Aboriginal mothers to be murdered, according to research by the Telethon Kids Institute.

"And yet our state has never responded to the killings of Indigenous women with the appropriate spirit or with the seriousness that this situation deserves," she said.

Senator Cox, Ms Krakouer and Dr McGlade said there needed to be a concerted effort to prevent violence.

"Women are the backbone of our communities and our families so when a woman is missing or murdered, we're all in grief and everything around that falls apart," Senator Cox said.
A head shot of Dorinda cox in a black blazer, blue blouse and blue earrings mid-speech
Greens Senator Dorinda Cox said more needed to be done to stop violence against Indigenous women. Source: AAP / MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE
Peter Damjanovic appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with Ms Woodley's murder.

He was not required to enter a plea and was remanded in custody to return to court on August 30.

The vigil will begin at 7.30pm (5.30pm AWST).

A gofundme page has been started for the family.

13YARN 13 92 76

Aboriginal Counselling Services 0410 539 905

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3 min read
Published 15 August 2023 9:53am
Updated 15 August 2023 9:56am
Source: AAP


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