A homeless 25-year-old woman was found beaten to death in a park in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday, May 25, said police.
Dog walkers discovered the body of Courtney Herron behind a burned log in the suburb of Parkville. The body showed evidence of severe beating.
“She died as a result of a horrendous bashing—that’s the only way to describe it,” said Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper, according to The Independent.
A 27-year-old man who is also homeless, Henry Hammond, has been arrested. He appeared in court on Monday and was charged with murder. He is scheduled to go on trial in September.
His lawyer, Bernie Balmer, said his client had mental health problems.
“There’s a diagnosis of possible delusional disorder, possible autism spectrum disorder, and historical diagnosis of ADHD,” he said.
More Violence Against Women in Melbourne
Last year, 22-year-old comedian Eurydice Dixon was killed and raped in Melbourne not far from where Herron was murdered. Her body was found on a football field on June 13, 2018.
A suspect was arrested and identified as 19-year-old Jaymes Todd, according to The Independent. Todd was also diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.
Outpouring of grief after Australian comedian ‘raped and murdered’ walking home from her gig https://t.co/Wt9zmZzzeK pic.twitter.com/RH6Mor5O54
— The Independent (@Independent) June 15, 2018
Earlier this year, Isreali-Arab student Aiia Maasarwi, 21, was raped and killed on her way home after visiting a comedy show. Her body was found near La Trobe University in Melbourne on January 16.
The killing caused widespread outrage in Australia, sparking renewed anger and debate about violence against women.
Public debate had intensified after Dixon’s death and then spiked again after 11 women were killed in Australia in October, The Independent reported.
Aiia Maasarwe: Arrest over killing of Israeli student in Melbourne https://t.co/myOeNkRHhn
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 18, 2019
Pregnant Woman Attacked in Sydney
An off-duty police officer arrested a woman after she allegedly attacked a pregnant woman in a vicious street assault, which was caught on video.
NSW Police, cited by SBS News, said a 28-year-old woman was in custody after a 30-week pregnant woman was attacked on May 28 in Sydney, Australia, on her way to work.
Detective Chief Inspector Adam Johnson told reporters, “It was just a totally unprovoked, unwarranted, unnecessary attack.”
Here it is. Just disgusting. At least 10 punches thrown. The pregnant woman has bruises, swelling and is now missing a huge clump of hair. She’s still under observation in hospital, with tests being carried out on her unborn baby. @9NewsSyd pic.twitter.com/Z7t8U5oGMj
— Tiffiny Genders (@tiffgenders) May 28, 2019
Australia’s Nine News further cited Johnson as praising a passerby for helping the injured victim.
“The civilian did not hesitate to leap to the rescue of the pregnant woman and we commend his bravery,” Johnson said, the news outlet reported. “We would also like to praise the swift response of the probationary constable who saved the woman from further harm.”
The 26-year-old victim was walking along the sidewalk when the assailant approached and lashed out, pulling the pregnant woman’s hair and ramming her into a pole, while the victim appears to clutch her stomach.
Nine News reporter Tiffiny Genders shared the video on Twitter, saying: “The pregnant woman has bruises, swelling and is now missing a huge clump of hair. She’s still under observation in hospital, with tests being carried out on her unborn baby.”
The alleged attacker was taken to Surry Hills Police Station and charged with assault, The Daily Mail reported.
Epoch Times reporter Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
