Remembering wendy with red roses
WENDY Sleeman spent two and a half years volunteering for a domestic violence charity before her death, allegedly at the hands of her son.
Ms Sleeman, 61, died after being allegedly kidnapped from her Elanora home last week. Her son Slade Murdok – also known as Jamie Sleeman – has been charged with murder, kidnapping and other offences in relation to the incident.
On Thursday a group of about 50 people gathered at Norm Rix Park in Labrador under a few portable gazebos to remember Ms Sleeman’s life as a part of the Red Rose Rally. In a speech at the rally, Hearts of Purple CEO Michelle Beattie said Ms Sleeman had been a “purple bin” volunteer with the charity.
“Wendy was only just speaking to one of our volunteers four years ago – she was asking about how Hearts of Purple was going,” she said. “She was always checking in – every time I spoke to her she was always very polite.”
Hearts of Purple was founded in 2017 in the wake of the domestic violence murder of Gold Coast woman Teresa Bradford.
The purple bin program allows people to recycle containers to help raise funds for women escaping domestic violence situations. Red Rose Rallies are held by the Red Rose Foundation after the death of a woman in the context of domestic violence or alleged domestic violence in order to remember their lives and also shine a light on the issue.
Queensland Police Gold Coast District Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon urged the men at the rally to speak up when other men made jokes about domestic violence.