Telling women to 'be safe' and stay out of parks will not solve the problem of toxic male violence.

The footbridge leading to Koonung Creek Linear Reserve near where Masa Vukotic was found. Photo: Joe Armao

Masa Vukotic is the latest high-profile victim on an ongoing war against women. The 17-year-old was hunted down and murdered by a man.

The police now have a man in custody who handed himself in, as pictures of the suspect captured from CCTV circulated on social media.

Focusing on the behaviour of women – as though we can somehow prevent men harming us – is not only victim-blaming at its worst but it is profoundly useless.

It reminds me of the days after Jill Meagher's disappearance, only this time there is no hopeful period of holding our collective breath.

Masa Vukotic is gone. While walking near her house as she'd done countless times before, she was killed by a man in the kind of attack all women fear.



"I suggest to people, particularly females, they shouldn't be alone in parks. I'm sorry to say that is the case." Inspector Mick Hughes of the homicide squad shared this advice in a media briefing today, and my mind flashed with a barely coherent rage.

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Having a partner who was a detective in Victoria Police means I have huge sympathy and understanding for this man's incredibly difficult job and I'm grateful he does it.



But this statement represents everything that is wrong with current debates over male violence against women.

Focusing on the behaviour of women – as though we can somehow prevent men harming us – is not only victim-blaming at its worst but it is profoundly useless.



Women die every day at the hands of men. In homes, workplaces, public spaces, open streets and, yes, parks.

This is not because women choose to have homes, or leave home intermittently, or dare to occupy public space as though they have the same rights as men; it's because men kill them.

This girl was near her home in broad daylight and she was stabbed to death. What should we do? Never leave our houses unescorted?

As absurd as that idea is, it still wouldn't work, since all statistics prove that women are more at risk in private, domestic spaces anyway.

In the wake of this brutal murder, we're going to see a lot of commentary about how women need to "stay safe". Change their behaviour, take fewer risks, not go out by themselves, in parks or after dark.

This will not only tell survivors that they did something to invite the violence they experienced, but also be completely ineffectual in preventing further attacks.

You'll see people calling for longer jail sentences, the death penalty, greater police powers, more CCTV, and even vigilante justice. This won't prevent men killing women either.

This is all desperate reaction. It has nothing to do with a genuine discussion of women's safety, dignity or ability to live in this world without becoming victims of violence.

Women are hunted, harmed and killed routinely by men. They become victims of men because our society licenses the treatment of women as objects, tools, prizes and possessions.

We participate in the dehumanisation of women and the glorification of toxic masculinity every day, and every day a woman is hurt because of it.

So, yes, the police have conducted a swift and effective investigation and have a suspect in custody, and I am hugely reassured by that.

But it won't make our streets or parks or public spaces safer for all women. It won't make our homes secure and stable – the place where, after all, we are at most risk of sexual and physical violence.

And throwing him in jail indefinitely won't solve anything but the tiniest fragment of a massive structural problem.

We can't keep waiting for these brutal murders to have these conversations. We can't keep being reactive.

We have to work together and take drastic action to stop this crisis of male violence diminishing us all. Because women are dying – men are killing them – as long as we don't act.



Inspector Hughes also said: "I don't think we can live our life in fear. We really just need to look after each other."

This is what women want. It's what we deserve.



Karen Pickering is a sexual violence commentator and co-founder of Slutwalk Melbourne.