UPDATE, 25 July: Vincent Carlino has been charged with murder after the discovery of a woman’s body in northwest Sydney, which is believed to be his partner Shereen Kumar. Police believe this to be a domestic violence incident.
Shereen, 43, had been missing since Wednesday, 20 July. She was last seen leaving their Dural home wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown.
It has been reported that Mr Carlino (who reported her disappearance) killed her sometime on Wednesday night, wrapped her in tape and plastic, and dumped the body in bushland, where it was found by authorities on Saturday evening.
He appeared briefly in Parramatta Bail Court, where he did not apply for bail and it was formally refused. He is due face court again on 13 September.
Tributes have been pouring in for Shereen, who is remembered for her warm, generous spirit. Her ex-husband Gurpreet Beehan, the father of their two children aged 12 and seven, called her an “incredible mother” and a “strong woman”, as quoted by The Daily Telegraph.
“I am devastated to learn that my friend Shereen Kumar was taken from us over the past few days. Her murder is a total shock, Shereen was a beautiful person inside and out and touched many people’s lives in such a positive way. The world is poorer for her loss,” wrote another friend on Facebook.
This terrible incident raises the question yet again about why domestic violence continues to be a scourge in our society. The number of deaths caused by such behaviour continues to rise, while experts scramble to find a way to deal with the problem. There is sufficient thought already, as well as attempts at community awareness, and as we wait for legislation and implementation perhaps we need to ask what we are all doing about it at our own individual levels.
Shereen was a business owner, a model, a mother and an animal lover.
Shereen is the third Australian woman killed in the past seven days and the 28th woman lost to an act of violence in 2022.— Sherele Moody (Femicide Researcher) 🌈 (@ShereleMoody) July 23, 2022
Here are important resources if you or someone you know is in need of assistance:
- 1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732
- Lifeline (24-hour Crisis Line): 131 114
- Domestic violence hotline: 1800 656 463
- Domestic Violence Service Management (DVSM)
- Safe and Equal
- Full Stop Australia
And for ethno-specific resources:
- Harman Foundation: https://www.harmanfoundation.org.au/
- Kittu Randhawa: http://www.kitturandhawa.com/
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22 July: Authorities are appealing for assistance from the public to find Shereen Kumar, who is missing from Sydney’s north west.
Shereen, 43, was last seen leaving a home on Taylor Road, Dural at around 9 PM on Wednesday, 20 July.
She was wearing white pyjamas and a purple dressing gown.
Due to the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, family and police hold concerns for her welfare.
She is believed to be a professional dog walker and part-time model.
Shereen is described as being of Indian Sub-Continental appearance, approximately 175cm (5’7 feet) tall, of slim build, with long black hair.
Anyone with information into Shereen’s whereabouts is urged to contact Kuring-Gai Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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