How Grace Millane’s murder sparked soul-searching over New Zealand’s domestic violence record

Long thought of as one of the safest legs on backpackers’ round-the-world tickets, New Zealand has been forced to face hard realities in the wake of the alleged murder of British tourist Grace Millane.

The soul-searching of a nation continued on Saturday at the latest public gathering to mark the death. As over a thousand people took to the streets of Auckland to march in memory of the 22-year-old, a cohort made up of some of New Zealand’s most influential women signed a letter to the government demanding it do more to address the country’s endemic problem with domestic violence. 

Thousands have already attended vigils in Ms Millane’s honour across New Zealand as they hope to heal the wounds…