NSW coroner demands urgent action to prevent violence against women

O’Sullivan found that James’ murder was planned and premeditated. Experts had described Thijssen’s decision to kill her as “punishment” for the rejection that triggered her vulnerability and low self-esteem.

Outside the court, James’ father Jamie stood next to his wife Peta, who told reporters their daughter’s life had been “cut too short”.

“Not a day goes by that we don’t think about it or wonder what we could have done to prevent it,” she said, while encouraging friends, family and colleagues to talk about violence against women and avoid using terms like “good guys.”

St Andrew’s colleagues James and Thijssen had a casual three-month relationship until James broke it off a few days before the murder, telling her ex-boyfriend she felt “weird” and insecure around him.

Thijssen had created a fake Snapchat account to claim that a woman was following him, showed a private photo of James to her friends without his permission, and obsessively monitored his movements on the social media platform Snapchat; These were all examples of exploitation facilitated by technology.

O’Sullivan noted expert evidence that people had the opportunity to intervene and “call it out” on this behavior but that it was normalized and “presents a challenge in educating people to conceptualise these behaviors as coercive control”.

Lawyer Jennifer Single, SC, assisting the coroner, told the inquest that Thijssen began exhibiting “extremely concerning behaviour” after James finished things, which was a “real turning point” that led to the murder.

In the days leading up to James’ death, Thijssen physically pursued him seven times, carefully planning and rehearsing his attack.

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During the last three days that James was alive, he and Thijssen had many seemingly normal interactions, including having lunch with a mutual friend. Hours later, Thijssen went to a nearby hardware store to buy a hammer, but it was not the hammer used in the murder.

On Wednesday, the day of the murder, the two went shopping for costumes for an upcoming Halloween party. Later that day, a smiling and relaxed James headed to Priceline with Thijssen and a friend.

CCTV recorded Thijssen walking to the bathrooms next to the sports field between his outings, lunging at the bathroom doors for adults and disabled people and rehearsing the murder.

James left school to attend a water polo match, and when he returned to change for his own match, Thijssen had taken his roommate’s hammer (the suspected murder weapon, which was never found).

After his other colleagues left, Thijssen went to the bathrooms and placed a cleaning sign in front of the adult toilet.

Shortly after 7pm, she walked towards the staff room with a smiling James, who grabbed a swimsuit and followed her into the disabled toilets.

Thijssen waited at the door with a hammer in his hand for two minutes before being rushed inside.

The inquest heard James would have died quickly but his killer waited an hour and 12 minutes before leaving the bathroom. Crime scene investigation showed that he was not wandering around the room. James was beaten so severely that he was unrecognizable to the police officers who found him.

Thijssen drove to the Diamond Bay reserve, got in his car and walked towards the reserve with his backpack. At 11.48pm he called triple zero to say a body had been found in St Andrew’s and “someone needs to get in there before people arrive in the morning”.

He returned to his car before driving to the cliffs to take his own life. The police arrived minutes later.

Experts said Thijssen had no history of mental health problems, only showing signs of potential narcissistic traits. They said he projects an image of perfection, likeability, and competence to mask feelings of vulnerability, inadequacy, and worthlessness.

O’Sullivan is a recognized international leading scientist on the prevention of violence against women and children, Monash University Professor Dr. He noted Kate Fitz-Gibbon’s evidence.

“Inside [her] O’Sullivan said “there was apparently evidence that Paul was behaving in a coercive and controlling way towards Lilie”.

“[She] He noted the shock that family and friends might experience following such a horrific incident, which they could describe as being out of character for the perpetrator. However, according to him, intimate partner murder cases are mostly planned and premeditated and this is also the case in the present case.”

O’Sullivan noted research showing that nearly one-fifth of violent intimate partner homicides involve murder-suicide, a gender-based crime committed almost exclusively by a man against a current or former female partner.

Sharing many similarities with many intimate partner murders, James’ case differed in that he was younger than most victims and his relationship with his killer was shorter than average. The place of death was also unusual, a decision Thijssen likely made to maintain control over the home.

O’Sullivan also said there was a gap in services and support for young men seeking relationship advice. Thijssen had asked a friend in the days before the murder if they were aware of such a service.

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After making his suggestions, O’Sullivan said he wanted to take some time to talk about James.

Those who knew him described him as confident, enthusiastic and dedicated, as well as engaging, calm and compassionate. He had a close bond with his family and a wide circle of friends.

O’Sullivan acknowledged his parents’ courage and strength, their palpable love and pain, and their heartbreak and anguish at the “senseless and violent death.”

O’Sullivan said Peta spoke powerfully about raising her daughter to be brave and strong.

“Peta’s words that we need to teach boys to respect and value women’s views and preferences and to accept rejection resonate deeply,” O’Sullivan said.

“I hope Peta’s message and the lessons of this tragedy resonate beyond this courtroom and contribute to meaningful change.”

While O’Sullivan did not direct his recommendations to any government agency, he said a copy would be sent to various ministerial departments and other agencies, including the NSW premier, the minister for education and early learning and the minister for domestic violence and sexual assault prevention.

National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Domestic Violence Counseling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732); Child Helpline 1800 55 1800; Lifeline 131 114; Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.