A 38-year-old woman has died after crashing through a glass door while reportedly trying to escape an alleged domestic violence situation in Randwick, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.
According to a statement released by New South Wales (NSW) Police on April 16, emergency services responded to a “concern for welfare” call around 7:40 a.m. on April 12. They arrived to find the woman with a severe laceration to her arm. She was transported to St Vincent’s Hospital in critical condition but died three days later on April 15.
The woman has been identified by The Sydney Morning Herald as Claire Austin, a marketing and events manager. Investigators believe Austin sustained her fatal injuries while attempting to flee a domestic violence incident, reportedly running into a sliding glass door in her top-floor apartment.
Police spoke with a 44-year-old man who was known to Austin at the scene. He was taken to Maroubra Police Station for questioning and later released without charge. Authorities have not made any arrests at this time.
Reports from both The Sydney Morning Herald and The New Zealand Herald revealed that police had applied for an apprehended violence order (AVO) on Austin’s behalf—a legal measure designed to protect individuals from potential threats or harm. The case was scheduled to be heard in Waverley Local Court on April 16, just one day after her passing.
NSW Premier Chris Minns described the incident as “disturbing” and expressed his condolences to Austin’s loved ones. “I feel so terribly sorry for that woman and her family. I can just imagine how devastated they are today,” he said. “It’s another example of somebody dying, allegedly at the hands of domestic violence.”
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell also addressed the case, calling it an “absolute tragedy.” He emphasized the broader crisis of domestic violence: “People have to stop dying in situations of domestic violence. Whether it’s women or men—and most of the time it is women who die—it is tragic, and it has to end.”
A police spokesperson told PEOPLE that, as the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed, they could not comment further on details of the case.
Claire Austin, originally from the U.K., had recently taken on a role as a senior event producer at The Misfits Media in Sydney, according to her LinkedIn profile cited by The Sydney Morning Herald.
The investigation into her death remains active.