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10 months ago
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A New South Wales real estate agent has been slammed after attempting to make jokes about the murdering of a spouse in a shocking property listing.
A listing for a house at Tottenham, 140km west of Dubbo, asked prospective buyers, 'does the sound of your husband/wife's voice irritate you enough to fantasise about their possible murder?'.
The listing went on to say the property 'has a large, shady back verandah (sic) area to lock them out on … so you can have wine in peace'.
It also boasted about a massive yard that has 'plenty of space to bury a body', and that a fireplace could be used to 'burn the evidence'.
A property listing for a house in Tottenham made jokes about murdering a partner and that the house 'has a large, shady back verandah (sic) area to lock them out on … so you can have wine in peace'
The property listing, which has since been changed, has been slammed by domestic violence advocates
Domestic violence advocates have blasted the 'inappropriate' comments.
Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, questioned how the listing was allowed to be published.
'It's terrible. I'm honestly shocked. Men's violence against women is a national crisis in Australia,' she told Yahoo News.
'That fantasising about killing your wife (or husband) and burying their body in the backyard is still pitched in 2023 as a funny one-liner highlights how far we have to go in achieving a safe community for women and girls.'
The listing has since been altered, omitting the controversial remarks.
The property listing attempted to joke that the house had a fireplace to 'burn the evidence' of murdering a spouse
Listing agent Averill Berryman of ABC Property said there had been a strong response to the listing due to the 'creative' description.
'It did not even enter my mind that it would be something people would get upset about,' she said.
'It was supposed to be cheeky. It was a tongue-in-cheek throwaway line.
'No harm was intended and there was definitely no intention to incite any kind of domestic violence or anything like that. If it has offended some people, then I apologise for that'.
Ms Fitz-Gibbon said that six women had been killed in Australia in the last month and that the property listing promoted 'violence pitched as a joke'.
'Community attitudes that condone and excuse violence are highly problematic and contribute to breeding the disrespect and inequality that drives violence against women,' she said.
1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732
NSW Domestic Violence Line - 1800 656 463
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