Three women were killed across New South Wales in a span of ten hours on Saturday, September 19, prompting murder charges against three men and drawing urgent warnings from state leaders about domestic violence.
Wagga Wagga Stabbing Claims 23-Year-Old Woman
The first fatality occurred in the Riverina region on Saturday morning. Emergency services arrived at a home on Ziegler Avenue in the Wagga Wagga suburb of Kooringal at approximately 11:45 a.m. following reports of a stabbing, according to the Junee Bulletin. NSW Ambulance paramedics and officers from the Riverina Police District attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a 23-year-old woman, but she could not be saved and died at the scene.
Investigators stated that the victim and a 31-year-old man were in a domestic relationship. Following an initial arrest and release of an 18-year-old man at the scene, detectives arrested 31-year-old Adam Mark Perrim at another home on Menzies Avenue in Kooringal at about 8:00 p.m., as reported by The Guardian. Perrim was charged with domestic violence-related murder, did not apply for bail during his Sunday court appearance, and will return to court on November 18.
Bondi Beach Attack Leaves Elderly Woman Dead
Hours after the Wagga Wagga incident, police responded to a second fatal stabbing on Chambers Avenue in Bondi Beach at about 5:15 p.m. on Saturday. Officers found a woman in her 90s suffering from significant stab wounds to her torso inside a unit, according to The Guardian. She died at the scene.
Sergei Mitnik, 47, was arrested at the home and subsequently charged with domestic violence-related murder. Mitnik appeared in Local Court on Sunday without applying for release, and the case was adjourned to Thursday. Defence lawyer Javid Faiz described the event as extremely serious, noting concerns about his client’s mental health, a canceled psychologist appointment from a month prior, and the use of the medication Ozempic, which he claimed “had an effect on him,” according to The Guardian.
Mole River Property Discovery and Fire Damage
Late Saturday night, emergency services uncovered a third death in the state’s north. Police were called to a property on Ironbark Road at Mole River, roughly 40 minutes west of Tenterfield, at approximately 9:35 p.m. following reports of a domestic violence incident, according to the Junee Bulletin. Authorities allege a 37-year-old man entered a property, attempted to steal a vehicle, and assaulted the 74-year-old male resident.
Officers arrested the 37-year-old man before searching a neighboring property, where they discovered the body of a 70-year-old woman. Part of the house at the property had sustained fire damage, police said. The State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad established crime scenes at both locations, and the man is scheduled to appear in court on Monday after being charged with murder.
Official Responses and National Context
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns addressed the killings in public statements, emphasizing that his thoughts rested with the affected families and communities. “These are shocking crimes and families are today dealing with unimaginable grief,” Minns said, as reported by The Guardian.
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane stated that the state could not treat the violence as background noise, pointing to broader systemic issues. According to figures cited by Sloane from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and independent trackers, a woman was killed every 11 days in 2024–25 by an intimate partner, with total femicide numbers recorded by Australian Femicide Watch approaching 50 by the end of August across Australia, building on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s designation of the issue as a national crisis.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic, family, or sexual violence, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or text 0458 737 732 available 24/7. Lifeline is reachable at 13 11 14. In immediate danger, call 000.