Ten years ago, 41-year-old Indian IT professional, Prabha Arun Kumar was walking home through Parramatta Park on a quiet Saturday night, just minutes away from her Westmead home. She was on the phone with her husband in India, but in the final moments of that call, the unthinkable happened.
“He stabbed me, darling,” she said, before collapsing on the path beneath a flickering streetlamp. Prabha Arun Kumar murder
In the years since, there has been no shortage of theories: a robbery gone wrong, a random act of violence, an opportunistic attacker. But a recent coronial inquest has brought painful clarity. Deputy State Coroner David O’Neil concluded that the most likely explanation for her death was a “targeted killing.” There was no sign of theft, no sexual violence, and nothing to suggest a chance encounter. Someone planned to kill her, and did.
The coroner commended the “extremely extensive” police investigation and said he hoped Prabha’s family would take some reassurance in that. He then referred the case back to the NSW Police Unresolved Homicide Squad, where it remains open. A $1 million reward was announced last year for information leading to a conviction. It remains unclaimed.
But for Prabha’s loved ones, and for the broader Indian-Australian community, that’s not enough. What comfort is there in knowing it was targeted, when the target has long been silenced, and the person responsible continues to walk free?
As the years go by, frustration has hardened into fury. For domestic violence advocate Kittu Randhawa, the case exposes just how little has changed for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women in Australia. Prabha Arun Kumar murder
“After 10 years we thought the system would better respond to women from diverse cultures,” she said. “Instead we are still waiting years for inquests. Who knows how long for a prosecution, assuming there is one.”
Randhawa points to a dangerous pattern: men from culturally diverse backgrounds threatening their partners with death, knowing the odds of getting away with it remain high. “The Government is too busy writing plans and promoting anyone who puts together a funding application on a serviette that mentions the plan,” she said. “Meanwhile, no justice. And lots of noses in the trough clawing at DFV funding.”
“[Does] anyone at the Government have any concerns that the money you are spending isn’t delivering any real outcomes for victims? Although there is one understated outcome you are delivering exceptionally well. It certainly works in favour of the offenders,” She directly questions the government for their lack of action.
Because justice delayed is justice denied. And Prabha Arun Kumar deserved better.
READ MORE: Duty and distance: Caring across generations and continents
