© Liliya Sharlovskaya
In Australia, a scandal is erupting around Gold Coast police, with their officers ignoring a domestic violence complaint from 27-year-old Kelly Wilkinson. Nine days after the station visit, the woman was brutally murdered by her ex-husband. This is reported by news.com.au.
The tragedy occurred in April 2021. Kelly's ex-husband, Brian Earl Johnston, a former US Marine, attacked the woman outside her home. He used a knife to slash her, doused her with gasoline and set her on fire. The victim suffered burns that were not life-threatening and caused death. Johnston pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Now those who could have prevented the murder are also being investigated.
As the deceased's sister told the court, on April 11, nine days before the massacre, the women went together to the police station to report domestic violence. The reaction of the staff behind the counter shocked them. Instead of accepting the statement, the officer told Kelly to “calm down” and “give Brian a break.” The upset woman returned to her car and shared the story with her sister, then called her friends to tell them what happened.
The family's lawyer, Mitch Rawlings, said the incident was a “missed third opportunity” for police to prevent the tragedy. It is understood another senior detective had previously granted Johnston bail despite being charged with four counts of rape.
Ultimately, two officers were disciplined for mishandling Wilkinson's complaints. But this will not save the life of a woman who could have been saved if the police had taken her matter seriously.
Read the document “Russian man leaves without 6.5 million rubles after call from “former owner””
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