Women have the right to live free of fear: A young girl rallies for more protection for women at risk of domestic violence after Jean Lennon was fatally shot.

It was an act of revenge over the pair’s falling out and an ongoing dispute over custodial rights to their four children.

In her hand was paperwork for an apprehended violence order (AVO) against the shooter, Hoss Majdalawi, a Jordanian migrant. It was not the first time she had gone to the courts for protection.

Ms Lennon, bleeding heavily, was rushed to hospital but did not survive. Majdalawi handed himself in to security.

The attack, in 1996, sparked rallies around the country. Women stood with signs reading “Women have the right to live free of fear” and “Men kill their wives because they can”.

When the crowds disbanded, politicians met to change the legislation. Almost 20 years to the day, the laws are still effectively the same.

This week we learned about a tomahawk attack on a woman in Tasmania who had, two days earlier, filed a protection order against her partner. Police say the alleged incident took place in front of stunned onlookers at a Woolworths store in Howrah’s Shoreline Plaza.

The woman was taken to hospital and the man was arrested and charged with two counts of breaching a family violence order and one count of wounding.

The woman’s story is sadly not unique. Professor of Law at Canberra University, Patricia Easteal, told news.com.au the problem is with the process.

“Once a week a woman is killed,” she said. “(The protection order) is a piece of paper. Can it keep you safe? Sometimes, other times not.”

Jean Lennon (left) was murdered by her husband Hoss Majdalawi (right).Source:News Corp Australia

Paramedics rush Jean Lennon to hospital after being shot five times outside the Family Law Court, Parramatta, on March 21, 1996.Source:News Corp Australia

‘THE ACCUSED COULD NOT CONTROL HIS ANGER’

Sydney woman Leila Alavi did what she was supposed to do. The 26-year-old filed an AVO against her estranged husband, Mokhtar Hosseiniamraei, after he became violent.

She left him, seeking refuge at women’s shelters before she was turned away because there were no beds. She moved in with her sister, Mitra Alavi, in a unit in the inner west suburb of Waterloo.

On January 27, 2015, her body was found inside her Holden Astra with wounds police now know where inflicted with a pair of scissors.

“The accused has shown a propensity for anger and being unable to control that anger,” police said in documents tendered to court last week, before Hosseiniamraei pleaded guilty to murder.

“It is alleged that the accused has physically assaulted his wife in the past.”

Police said a number of assaults went unreported but her sister knew about the abuse all along.

“Eight months before she died she come to my place and told me, ‘I can’t live with Mohktar because he is punching me and it is scary’,” Ms Alavi told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Margaret Tannous lived a similar story. The Sydney woman was accused by her husband, George Tannous, of cheating. His suspicions turned to anger and, in 2014, he made good on a deadly promise and beat her to death with a broomstick until it snapped.

An agreed statement of facts revealed Mrs Tannous had told police her husband was stalking her in 2012, and he had “threatened to kill her if she terminated the relationship”.

Mokhtar Hosseiniamraei is on trial for the murder of Leila Alavi, his estranged wife. She had earlier filed an AVO against him.Source:Supplied

Mrs Tannous took steps to file an apprehended violence order against her husband but withdrew it soon after making it. When she told him she was leaving, he allegedly snapped.

Tannous called paramedics shortly after the attack. He allegedly told them: “I hit her because she made me mad”.

The accused was this week found not guilty of murder by reason of mental illness. Acting Justice Jane Mathews made the ruling at the NSW Supreme Court following testimony from a forensic psychiatrist.

Justice Mathews ordered Tannous be detained indefinitely in a mental health facility. Outside court, Mrs Tannous’ niece said her aunt was “a beautiful person”.

“No one has the right to take anyone’s life away — that’s no one’s job,” she said.

“What I would like from today is for people to see and understand that violence against women is wrong, and it won’t be tolerated in this country. I think we’ve still got a long way to go as a nation.”

Bankstown murder victim Margaret Tannous was killed by her husband. He was found not guilty of murder this week.Source:Facebook

‘TO ME, IT’S SO OBVIOUS’

Prof Easteal agrees. She told news.com.au she has seen little change since Jean Lennon was killed.

“We’ve had these tragedies since I moved to Australia. Over 20 years ago we had women being killed. This is nothing new.”

She said domestic violence orders “are not enough”

“We have to change the fundamental gender roles in society, gender inequality. The pay gap persists, the same lack of women in positions of power,” she said.

“I believe in the power of the law to effect change but you can’t look at law without looking at other things, including community denial.”

She said part of the problem was each state and territory treated protection orders differently. Another is that we treat society’s most vulnerable members — children — with kid gloves.

“We need to change that, to educate children in primary schools about violence and how to behave in a nonviolent way. To me, it’s so obvious.”

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics director Don Weatherburn said women should not be dissuaded from seeking AVOs. He admitted they do not always stop offenders from committing violent acts but often they do.

“There is no question that apprehended violence orders are effective but they are not a miracle cure,” Dr Weatherburn told the Herald.

“There are breaches but what would the world look like if we don’t have these orders. The answer is a lot worse.”

His comments followed the release of a survey showing the majority of women believe taking out an AVO will deter a violent partner from acting on their rage.

The survey heard from 147 women who had lodged an AVO. Of those, 24 per cent had experienced stalking before talking with police. That number dropped to 3.4 per cent after an AVO was filed.

National domestic violence helpline: 1800 737 732 or 1800 RESPECT. In an emergency call 000.