‘A world where women are disposable’: Isla Bell’s family mourns teenager allegedly killed at violence against women march

Isla Bell, 19, went missing after leaving her home on October 4.

Her family, friends and police searched for her for more than a month before police located her remains at a tip in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Police say Isla was killed by St Kilda man Marat Ganiev, 53, on October 7, two days after meeting him.

Isla’s family marched alongside thousands of mourners from Birrarung Marr to Treasury Gardens on Friday in the Walk Against Family Violence 2024, calling for an end to gender-based violence.

Ms Bell’s devastated uncle Kieran Dionysus read aloud a powerful statement from Ms Bell’s mother Justine Spokes to the crowd of more than 5,000 before breaking down in tears and falling to her knees in pain.

“I am horrified to now read the grizzly details of my beloved daughter’s (alleged) murder… My pain is crippling and I cannot function,” Ms Spokes wrote.

“Please give me and my dear Isla a voice and march in solidarity tomorrow.

“The reality is we live in a world where men are in positions of power and still make decisions for women, whether they like it or not.

“A world where women are trafficked, disappear daily and barely raise an eyebrow, let alone a mention.

“We live in a world where women’s suffering is their cross to bear.

“A society that tells them they are strong and must continue to martyr themselves to be worthy of the best praise.

“A ruthless, conniving culture that upholds the right of men with impunity in a hierarchy of human life where women are seen as a disposable commodity.

“When will men care enough about the sacred feminine and hold each other accountable? As women, we need to stop forgiving men for their mistakes when they haven’t asked for permission. Ask yourself, does this sound like consent?

“Be seen, be heard, and RAGE like your life depends on it.”

In the weeks after Isla went missing, Mrs Spokes desperately clung to hope her daughter was still alive, using Facebook posts to try to contact her – not yet knowing her daughter had been killed just days before after leaving his home in Brunswick.

“Hey bub, look who’s in town!” Ms. Spokes posted on Facebook in October.

“I haven’t heard from you in a while and I miss you like crazy. Let us know if you want to catch up on your birthday tomorrow. I love you my dear. Xoxo.”

Another heartbreaking post said: “Hey bub looking forward to our reef trip for your birthday.”

“We’ve been trying to call you to book flights. Let us know your thoughts. We love you my dear xxx,” Isla’s mother wrote.

Thousands of women and men wearing orange Respect Victoria hats carried signs reading “Stop killing women and children”, “No excuse for abuse” and “You deserve to be safe” on Friday.

Respect Victoria president Kate Fitz-Gibbon said the kind of violence Australians were seeing was preventable.

“A different future is possible, but we need an acceleration of efforts across the spectrum of prevention, early intervention, response and recovery,” she said.

Police say CCTV captured Mr Ganiev in “what appears to be a struggle” with Ms Bell at his home on October 7, where the teenager fell to the ground before Mr Ganiev punched her again.

“Investigators observed what appeared to be Bell’s head spinning as if she had been struck,” a police summary said.

“She falls to the ground and then Ganiev can be seen slamming her to the kitchen floor. What appears to be Bell’s head can be seen rising up before being pushed back down by Ganiev’s arm.”

After her death, Ms. Bell’s body was kept in a refrigerator for a week and a half.

Mr Ganiev admits moving her body but claims he does not know how she died and denies assaulting her or causing her death.

He was remanded in custody and will return to court in March.