On Thursday, Australia woke up to the shocking news of a body found in a bathroom at a prestigious Sydney private school. The entire country was filled with horror as police arrived at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in response to a chilling emergency call. What they discovered was a disturbing scene – the lifeless body of 21-year-old water polo coach Lilie James, who had suffered extensive head injuries. Local media reports, citing anonymous sources, suggest that she was murdered with a hammer, allegedly by her colleague, 24-year-old hockey coach Paul Thijssen. CCTV footage allegedly captured Thijssen entering the bathroom after James, and he was the one who made the call to the authorities. However, he later emerged alone.
While no official comment has been made about the motive behind the crime, local media outlets have reported that James had recently ended a relationship with Thijssen. The pair had been dating for only five weeks. Thijssen vanished after making the call from Vaucluse, leading the police to launch a large-scale manhunt in the nearby area. During the search, items associated with the murder, including the alleged murder weapon, were found in a bin. On Friday morning, Thijssen’s body was discovered, confirming him as the deceased.
The friends and family of Lilie James are devastated by her tragic death. They remember her as a kind and vivacious person who was passionate about sports. Alongside water polo, she competed in dancing and swimming during her teenage years. She was also studying a sports business degree at university while working at the school. James’s family issued a statement describing her as a beloved family member who was taken from them too soon. A friend of the family, Daniel Makovec, set up a fundraising appeal to support them, expressing his sorrow and stating that their grief will endure forever.
St Andrew’s Cathedral School, located in the heart of Sydney, sent a message to parents, expressing deep concern for everyone affected by the tragedy. The school’s head, Julie McGonigle, vowed that this evil act would not define their community. Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales, also extended his condolences to James’s family, calling her death a horrible crime that ranks among the worst he has seen in his public life.
This incident has reignited discussions about Australia’s ongoing struggle with domestic violence, often referred to as an “epidemic” in the country. James is the 41st Australian woman to die from gender-based violence this year alone, according to the Counting Dead Women project. In the past 10 days, three women – Krystal Marshall, an unidentified woman from Canberra, and now Lilie James – have allegedly been killed by men they knew, all within their own homes or workplaces. Tarang Chawla, a campaigner for gendered violence reform, who tragically lost his sister to domestic violence in 2015, described James’s death as a tragic reminder of the dark reality of men’s violence against women. He posted on Instagram, expressing his remorse for failing to prevent her death.
As the nation mourns, urgent questions about ensuring women’s safety are being raised once again. Australia has had a National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children since 2010, but the rates of violence remain alarmingly high. A new 10-year plan was introduced last year, with specific targets and actions aimed at early intervention, improving police and justice responses, increasing emergency housing, and providing more trauma support to survivors. However, Karen Bevan, CEO of Full Stop Australia, highlights that the cultural attitudes towards gender equality and violence against women need to be addressed to effectively tackle domestic violence in Australia. A recent survey found that while over 90% of Australians acknowledge violence against women as a problem in the country, fewer than half recognize it as an issue in their own community. The same study also revealed that approximately 40% of Australians incorrectly believe that men and women are equally likely to commit domestic violence. Bevan stresses the importance of dispelling myths and misconceptions surrounding gender-based violence and promoting community understanding.
Jodie Harrison, NSW Minister for Domestic Violence Prevention, urges individuals to call out inappropriate behavior and take responsibility for creating a safe environment for women and children. She believes that government funding for programs will be wasted without individual accountability. However, advocates argue that additional funding and better tracking measures are necessary to address the magnitude of the problem. “For all the violence elsewhere that we condemn, Australia urgently needs to fix its own problem,” concludes Chawla.
