Murderer's appeal reignites grief for daughter dealing with mum's loss

Romany Wake, the daughter of Rachel Wake, continues to grapple with the loss of her mother, who was killed by her father, Darren Wake, on Christmas Day in 2021. Darren's appeal against his 26-year prison sentence for the murder is still pending, nearly two years after it was filed. The legal process has been prolonged due to a dispute over legal aid funding, and Romany remains unable to escape the ongoing ordeal.

She runs a social media page, Rachel's Voice, where she expressed frustration that her father gets to choose his legal representation while her mother never had a choice about being murdered. Romany's appeal to the court returns on Friday, and she hopes for progress in the case. The tragedy of family violence is not unique to Romany's experience, as Counting Dead Women Australia reported 29 women killed in Australia so far this year.

In Tasmania, a recent incident involved a man stabbing his partner and causing a fatal car crash, killing himself and another woman, Elaine Gee. Romany Wake, a prominent advocate against family violence, has been campaigning for reforms to the legal system. She has set up the Rachel Wake Midwifery Scholarship and pushed for changes to the restraining order process, including a video link court session that ended up causing her more trauma.