Six women. One week. The national emergency our leaders refuse to address.

This story discusses domestic violence.

Over the past week, six women were murdered. 

That's one dead woman for almost every day of the week.

Last Wednesday, a 44-year-old woman was found dead in her Felixstow unit. Today, a 50-year-old man was charged with her murder. He was a man she knew. 

On Thursday night, a 45-year-old woman was killed in South Australia. A 53-year-old man was charged with her murder. He was a man she knew. On the same day, a 12-year-old girl was charged with the stabbing murder of a 37-year-old woman. 

Two days later, a 63-year-old woman was murdered; her 30-year-old daughter seriously injured. A man was charged with both murder and attempting to unlawfully kill. He was a man they knew. 

On Sunday night, a 39-year-old woman was found dead in her Adelaide home. A 40-year-old man was arrested and charged with her murder. He was a man she knew. 

On Tuesday night, police were called to a Modbury North for a welfare check. Inside the property, they found the body of a woman. The suspect fled the scene, and a manhunt is underway for the driver of a missing Mitsubishi ute. 

Six murders in one week, and barely a blip on the radar. 

Barely a word from our national leaders. Barely a word from anyone, aside from the usual handful of activists who do their best to ensure the rest of Australia knows about the atrocities happening with horrific frequency in our country. To let us know that we’re experiencing a horrifying national emergency that cannot be ignored. 

And yet it is. 

This is the second time in six months that multiple women have been allegedly murdered - mostly by men they know — in less than one week. It's the third time in less than 12 months that multiple women have been allegedly murdered - mostly by men they knew — in less than one week.

66 women have been murdered this year, allegedly, according to Australian Femicide Watch. The overwhelming majority killed by men known to them. Several children, including a teenager, a toddler and a weeks-old baby, have also been allegedly murdered in domestic violence circumstances. 

The rate at which we’re seeing news of murdered women (and children) is both mind blowing and overwhelming. It’s unbearable. It’s almost impossible to get your head around. 

And yet, these deaths, these murders, are rarely more than a secondary headline in the news media. The inaction and lack of outrage is almost as jarring as the weekly, sometimes daily, news of another dead woman. News that has become so frequent, we now risk community desensitisation. We risk desensitising our youth. Our boys. Our future men. 

When we published this article yesterday, it was titled: Four women. One week. The national emergency our leaders refuse to address. Just 24 hours later, that number has increased to six. 

Imagine, for a moment, this number of deaths, this close together, under any other circumstances. Shark attacks. Terrorism. Hit-and-runs. 

The country would screech to a grinding halt. As it should. 

As it should be now. Before it's too late. 

If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.

Feature image: Getty