Australians are up in arms over a jail sentence handed to a man for killing his wife.
Yesterday, Borce Ristevski was sentenced to a maximum nine years behind bars for killing his wife Karen, with a non-parole period of six years.
People around the country have reacted in shock at the time period, asking does that really stack up to the value of a person's life.
One person wrote on Twitter: "No matter what the outcome, there needs to be an avenue for change because today's sentence sends entirely the wrong message. Kill your wife, lie to police, hide the truth and get a minimum 6 years."
Another added: "In Victoria you can kill your wife and mother of your child, dump her in the bush, lie to police, waste millions of dollars in police resources, inflict unimaginable pain on her family and serve less time than one might for tax evasion."
A third said: "The Karen Ristevski sentence is clear evidence that the lives of women do not matter in this country. What an abhorrent outcome. This is not justice. It's a sick joke."
It's clear Aussies are fuming over the sentence, with many wondering why it was so light. The real kicker is Ristevski could be freed from prison after just four and a half years based on time already served.
Karen's body was found eight months after she was killed in 2016. While he denied involvement in her murder, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was found to have lied to prosecutors during the investigation and told them Karen went for a walk to clear her head and never returned.
During sentencing yesterday, Justice Christopher Beale said: "To date, only one person knows why or how Karen was killed - the prisoner.
"This is a serious case of domestic violence. This is a particularly bad instance of domestic violence because it involved the taking of a life.
"Your victim was your wife of 27 years, the longevity of that relationship amplifying that breach of trust. She was killed in her home where she should have felt safe and protected."
Unsurprisingly, domestic violence groups around the country are dismayed that such a light sentence was handed to a killer.
Domestic Violence Victoria said: "Today we received the message that taking a woman's life is worth six years of a man's life in prison, and this does not feel like justice for Karen Ristevski and those who loved her."
Prosecutors have left the door open to appeal the sentence following the public backlash.
Featured Image Credit: 7 News Sydney