It was February 12, 2014, a hot summer evening, and eleven year old Luke Batty was at cricket practice on a sports oval in the Melbourne suburb of Tyabb.

With blue eyes and dark blonde hair, Luke had just started Year Six. He was happy and empathetic, a best friend to his single mother Rosie. 

Rosie was on one end of the cricket ground, and his father, Greg Anderson was at the other. 

After speaking to his father, Luke ran back over to Rosie and said: “Oh mum, I haven’t seen dad for a while. He’s asked me if I can have a few extra minutes.”

Rosie remembers thinking, “Aw that’s nice.”

She had invited someone over for dinner, and Greg had coaxed Luke over to the cricket nets. Suddenly, the park stood still in response to a sound of anguish, unlike anything they’d ever heard. 

Her former partner, in what felt like the blink of an eye, struck his son with a cricket bat before stabbing him to death. 

In the hours following, Anderson resisted arrest and threatened paramedics with his knife. Police had no choice but to shoot. He died in hospital from both gunshots and self-inflicted stab wounds. 

What happened to Luke is a story that haunts Australia more than seven years later. In response, his mother Rosie Batty has dedicated her life to campaigning for domestic violence reform and has fundamentally changed the conversation about family violence. 

CREDITS

Guest: Rosie Batty

Host: Jessie Stephens

Producer: Gia Moylan

Audio Producer: Ian Camilleri

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