Eurydice Dixon: Grief, anger as thousands gather at park vigils around Australia
Updated
Thousands of people have expressed grief and anger at a candlelit vigil at the Melbourne park where 22-year-old comedian Eurydice Dixon's body was found last week.
Police charged a 19-year-old man over the rape and murder of Ms Dixon, whose death sparked discussion over the right for women to feel safe while walking home.
Ms Dixon has been remembered by friends and family as a kind and intelligent woman whose comedy often tackled feminism and other social issues.
People began arriving at Princes Park in Carlton North about 5:00pm with blankets, candles and floral tributes.
Men, women and children from all walks of life joined the vigil as crowds swelled in silence before the park lights were dimmed at 6:00pm.
In the darkness, the faces of those gathered on the pitch were visible in the orange glow of their candles.
Vigil attendees express sadness and anger
One of the attendees at the Princes Park vigil, Michal Proctor, said she was there because she was sad and angry.
"There is such entitlement that people think it's okay to take another person's life, to do more than take another person's life," she said.
Ms Proctor said she felt it was important to explain to her six-year-old daughter Freya why they were going to the vigil.
"It's something that you don't want to tell a six-year-old but I believe in educating my children," she said.
"Another thing that makes me angry is the fact that my six-year-old needs to understand that this is something that happens to women."
Paula Di Iorio was one of the first to arrive and sat along the boundary of Princes Park.
"We just felt so sorry for the poor girl," she said.
"We should be able to walk the streets without fearing for our lives.
"We do get scared going out alone at night but we shouldn't because of this, because it makes them the winners."
Her friend, Dorothy Filipovic, was fuming.
"It's ridiculous what's happening here," she said.
"I have a 22-year-old daughter. I'm here just to support people, females, that can walk the streets without being attacked."
Both women were part of the marches that took place when Brunswick woman, Jill Meagher, was raped and killed in 2012.
"Nothing's changed, from Jill Meagher to this day," Ms Filipovic said.
Vigils are also being held in the regional Victorian cities of Ballarat, Bendigo, Warrnambool and Geelong, as well as other cities across Australia.
Police, council back vigil
Melbourne's Town Hall was bathed in orange light as the vigil got underway. It's a colour used by the United Nations to represent the fight to end violence against women and girls.
Police officers have also been stationed around the park to provide safety and support to people attending the vigil, Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said.
"My instructions to our police is not to be too visible," he said.
"To be visible as people approach the park so that they know that they're safe ... but we want to take a step back and I think it's important that we do that tonight."
He said forensic detectives had joined an investigation into the vandalism of the small shrine set up at the oval for Ms Dixon, which was defaced early Monday morning.
"It'll be my joy to see those people charged and put before the courts," he said.
He also confirmed that police will support the community's use of the oval as a memorial site for as long as is required.
"We're open to what it is, we've got a lot of resources available to us and we'll continue to make sure we've got police visible on the scene for some time."
Prime Minister addresses 'heartbreaking tragedy'
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull addressed Ms Dixon's death in Parliament, where he said the tragedy highlighted the need to better educate young men.
Mr Turnbull spoke after a question from Greens MP for Melbourne Adam Bandt, who said many people were in "mourning" and "angry" about Ms Dixon's death and asked whether the Prime Minister accepted more needs to be done.
"This is a heartbreaking tragedy but what we must do as we grieve is ensure that we change the hearts of men to respect women," Mr Turnbull said.
"We start with the youngest men — little boys, our sons and grandsons — we make sure that they respect their mothers and their sisters and all the women in their lives.
"As grown men we must lead by example and treat women with respect and we must ensure our cities, our towns, our country, everywhere is safe for every Australian to walk and work, whether it's a park, whether it's a workplace, whether it is in their own home.
"I believe, Mr Speaker, that I speak for every honourable member in saying we must never, ever, ever tolerate violence against women.
"Eurydice Dixon, we mourn her loss, we grieve with her family, and we say 'never again'."
Topics: sexual-offences, law-crime-and-justice, women, community-and-society, womens-status, human-rights, men, domestic-violence, murder-and-manslaughter, crime, carlton-north-3054, vic, melbourne-3000, ballarat-3350, bendigo-3550, wodonga-3690, hobart-7000, launceston-7250, geelong-3220
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