How the Australian Media and Public Treats a Case of Domestic Murder

183 points30 commentssubmitted by LacklustreFriend to r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates

Recently a tragedy of domestic violence occurred here in Melbourne, Australia. A mother and her three children were found dead in their home on 13th of January. Initial reports from police stated that the cause of death was undetermined, and the father who had called emergency services was "assisting the police with inquiries". The police urged people not to speculate.

It has recently been reported that the deaths were a murder-suicide committed by the mother. It is also important to note that no history of domestic violence (by the father) has been found.

This case highlights the large double standard in the treatment of men and women in cases of domestic violence. To highlight some of the things I noticed from the media and the public when dealing with the case:

Before the murder-suicide by the mother was reported

  • Overwhelming assumption by the public that the father was guilty, often lamenting that this was one more case in the crisis of domestic violence (by men) in Australia
  • News reports implicitly assuming innocence of the mother, while being explicitly neutral. Numerous quotes from neighbours etc about how great of a mother she was.
  • Promotion of domestic violence services that are exclusively male-perpetrator female-victim oriented.

After the murder-suicide by the mother was reported

  • A general reluctance to use the word 'murder' or any harsher vocabulary than 'kill' (if that) in the news. "Responsible for the deaths" seems to be the preferred phrase.
  • A general assumption (not completely unfounded) that the mother's actions were the result of mental illness. Moreover, her actions are seen as forgivable or understandable as a result.

  • Continued sympathetic portrayal of the mother, including sympathetic photos and positive quotes from acquaintances.

  • A relative lack of sympathy for the now publicly exonerated father

  • Some retractions and apologies by various media and social media that overtly blamed the father. The "mistake" is usually explained as reasonable assumption given the "epidemic of domestic violence" (against women) in Australia.

  • The worst offending tweets/social media posts from notable or public figures blaming the father were deleted (without an apology).

This case demonstrates how the current narratives around the gendered nature of domestic violence cloud our understanding of it. It demonstrates the extreme confirmation bias people employ on this issue, and how hyperagency is applied to men and hypoagency is applied to women. Needless to say to people on this subreddit, but this kind of reporting and public reception would not be the same had the father being the culprit of the murder-suicide. Unfortunately, this case will likely just be seen as an anomaly or curiosity in the narrative of gendered domestic violence. As far as I can tell, Australia has one of the strongest zeitgeists about gendered violence of any country, and that is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.