My firstborn daughter, Isla was allegedly murdered last year.

I’m Justine, a proud mother of two exceptional daughters with over 20 years’ experience working in the public and private health sector across the lifespan. I understand the gaps in our systems and raised my daughters to be part of the solution. My firstborn daughter, Isla, was allegedly murdered last year, on October 7th, 2024, just 13 days before her 20th birthday. The six and a half weeks that she was missing can only be described as torturous. On November 19th, I received the most harrowing phone call of my life from my dear brother: “A man has just been arrested for the alleged murder of Isla.” The primal anguish I expressed in that moment was interpreted by neighbours as another crime scene. The only clear thought I had was to walk out into the ocean and not return so I could be with my daughter.

The following day, November 20th, the grisly, horrifying details of her murder case were headlined in the media—without warning, without the support of each other, and without thought to the trauma it would inflict on those who love and respect Isla. Strangers reported PTSD symptoms after reading the articles, and I would advise against it. Headlines were sensationalised, details were graphic, the language victim-blamed, sources were not referenced, and images of her in lingerie were used without permission or consent, all to further exacerbate public scrutiny and blame while creating an illusion of public safety.

I could not control the alleged violence of the accused, nor could I control the magistrate’s media release and subsequent media reports. My darling daughter was denied her dignity and respect, and treated in a grotesque, demeaning, and dehumanising way in both her death and the judicial and media decisions that followed. The normalisation of such alleged violence through sensationalised and inaccurate reporting is deeply troubling and of public concern. Ethical media reporting is a social determinant of health, and it is the government’s responsibility to reduce harm and promote a culture of safety for all.

I feel abused by the system, invisible, unsupported, and isolated. I interpret the silence from our government as complicity, which jolts me out of numbness and apathy and ignites a fire that fuels my convictions further. In the spirit of Isla, I choose to continue to create and nurture beauty in my life with empathy in my heart.

Rest in powerful love, my darling Isla Jane.

Forever your

Mumma Bear