Heartbreaking details emerge about the final fateful moments before the nurse was forever unable to return to her family
A family violence service says that “ripples” will be felt through the Tasmanian community after one woman was killed and another suffered multiple stab wounds in connected violent incidents perpetrated by a man on Friday.
Elaine Gee, 39, died in hospital days after a head-on crash on the West Tamar Highway at Legana, in which the 42-year-old male driver of the other car also died.
Ms Gee is the 42nd woman to be killed by a man in Australia this year, according to Femicide Watch. (Supplied: Bradley Moylon)
Tasmania Police said the man had stabbed his partner of six months — a woman in her 40s — multiple times at a house in nearby Exeter shortly before the crash, and had been seen driving erratically.
The stabbing victim is in a stable condition in the Launceston General Hospital (LGH).
They were visiting Tasmania from Perth in Western Australia with two of the stabbing victim’s children, who police say were present at the house but did not directly witness the incident.
Elaine Gee with her sons. Her husband says he has lost his best friend. (Supplied: Lisa Gibson)
Alina Thomas, chief executive officer of Tasmanian family violence support service Engender Equality, said the incident will be distressing for those who are experiencing, or have experienced, family violence.
“We are going to see real ripples through our community around this, we’re going to see people who recognise themselves in this situation and fear for their own safety,”
she said.
Alina Thomas says family violence incidents have wide-reaching impacts. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Ms Gee — a mother of two boys — was driving home from a nursing shift at the LGH when she was killed.
In a social media post, her husband Rodney Gee mourned the loss of his “best friend” and described the incident as “completely unacceptable, unfair and crap”.
An online fundraiser for Elaine Gee’s family says she has “left behind a legacy of genuine care and relentless advocacy”. (Facebook: Rod Gee)
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation secretary Emily Shepherd said staff at the LGH are in shock.
“The outpouring of support and sympathy to the family across the nursing profession today speaks volumes in terms of how respected and liked Elaine was,”
she said.
An online fundraiser in support of the family has so far raised more than $150,000.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said Ms Gee’s two decades of service would not be forgotten.
“It is a huge loss to our community, but especially her family, friends and loved ones,” he said.
Police family violence call-outs increasing
Ms Gee is the 42nd woman to be killed by a man in Australia in 2026, according to Australian Femicide Watch.
It follows the deaths of four women and girls in the space of a week earlier in July.
Tasmania Police say the man stabbed his partner in a house in nearby Exeter shortly before the crash. (Supplied: Bradley Moylon)
Family Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin and her team examined thousands of recommendations from 25 federal and state inquiries, finding many recommendations had not been acted upon.
She wanted to see greater coordination between states and territories.
In Tasmania, police attendance at family violence dispatch incidents have increased from 1,582 to 5,856 in the decade to 2024.
Where to get help:
In an emergency call Triple Zero (000)
For non-urgent matters, call Tasmania Police on 131 444
Elder Abuse Helpline on 1800 441 169 or text 0457 806 963
The Family Violence Response and Referral Line (1800 633 937) offers an information and referral service.
1800 Respect National Helpline on 1800 737 732
Lifeline on 131 114
Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491
Mensline on 1300 789 978
Full Stop Australia on 1800 385 578
It was assessed as part of an independent review into the role of Tasmania Police, released earlier this month.
“Officers interviewed reported attending one or more family violence incidents in most shifts,” it reads.
Uniform officers raised concerns about the “investigative and administrative burden”, and wanted specialised family violence staff to play more of a role in attending incidents.
Family violence accounted for the fourth most police call-outs in Tasmania.
Police family violence call outs have continued to increase in Tasmania. (Supplied: Tasmania Police)
Tasmania Police is trialling the use of artificial intelligence with body-worn cameras for family violence incidents.
Ms Thomas said greater investment is needed across all family violence services in Tasmania.
“We have about 200 victim survivors who are currently on a wait list that will go for three years for accessing services in southern Tasmania,”
she said.
“It’s definitely an area that needs increased investment, but also increased research so that we know when we’re doing this work we’re really making the biggest impact we can with the resources that we have.”
In May, the Tasmanian government proposed new laws to strengthen family violence protections and address coercive control.
In 2024, it passed a law requiring the coroner to hold an inquest if family violence is suspected to have materially contributed to a person’s death.
The law had not been brought into force as of April, while the Coroners Act is being reviewed by the Tasmania Law Reform Institute.
SOURCE: ABC
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-28/reactions-to-elaine-gee-death-dv-victim-dismay/106962450
