Staff for Linda Burney came to the aid of a woman who was stabbed outside the Indigenous Australians Minister’s hotel in Darwin.
The woman, 51, was stabbed outside The Esplanade hotel in Darwin shortly before 6pm on Friday.
Police said the woman entered the hotel lobby for assistance before emergency services arrived on the scene.
She was then taken to Royal Darwin Hospital with life-threatening injuries and died shortly after.
The Indigenous Australians Minister confirmed she was at the scene, describing the efforts her staff took to assist the victim.
“Last night in Darwin, a woman tragically died after allegedly being stabbed outside a hotel where I was staying,” Ms Burney said in a statement on Saturday night.
“The woman came into the hotel to seek help.
“Together with staff from the hotel members of my staff provided assistance to the woman, and I comforted members of her family.”
Ms Burney gave her “heartfelt condolences” to the woman’s family and loved ones and thanked The Esplanade hotel staff.
“I want to thank the hotel staff, the Northern Territory Police and the paramedics who attended,” she said.
A 56-year-old man was charged with murder on Saturday night in relation to the stabbing death.
The man is believed to be the partner of the victim and was located after CCTV operators directed police to him.
He was arrested without incident and will appear before court on Monday.
Sky News Australia’s Matt Cunningham spoke to the victim’s brother at the scene on Saturday morning.
He said his sister, from the community of Maningrida about 500km east of Darwin, had come to the city to visit her son who was in prison.
The death came on the eve thousands of people were expected to attend an anti-crime rally at Parliament House.
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro has called for the Government to take immediate action to address violent crime.
Source: skynews.com.au
