The compelling link between domestic violence and mass murder

In a society apparently obsessed with preventing terrorism, where the Prime Minister lectures us that we should never “set and forget” on security, where we’ve lost some of our most basic rights in the name of enabling security agencies to stop attacks, when will we act on the clear link between domestic violence and acts, or attempts, of mass-casualty violence?

Let’s consider some key facts:

• Devin Patrick Kelley, perpetrator of the Sutherland Springs massacre, had been convicted of assaulting his family and had a history of harassing a former partner;
• Las Vegas mass murderer Stephen Paddock had a history of publicly abusing his girlfriend;
• London Bridge terrorist Rachid Redouane had a history of assaulting his wife;
• As did Westminster Bridge terrorist Khalid Masood, who had a long history of violence;
• Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, perpetrator of Nice truck attack in 2016 had a history of violent offences, including assaulting his then-wife;
• Omar Mateen, perpetrator of the Orlando shooting in 2016, assaulted and imprisoned his wife during a four-month marriage she then fled;
• Man Haron Monis, perpetrator of the Lindt Cafe siege was being prosecuted for sexual assault and accessory to murder of his former wife at the time of the siege;
• Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the Boston bombers, had assaulted his then-girlfriend; and
• Women and children are (grossly) disproportionately targeted in mass shootings in the United States, with 57% of mass shootings involving partners or family members. For example, in September this year, Spencer Hight, who had a history of assaulting his former wife, murdered her and eight other people at a BBQ in Plano, Texas.

Can we expect the government to take any action? Well, in 2014, Attorney-General George Brandis said that any link between terrorism and domestic violence was “foolishly conflating two completely unrelated issues”.