Post-Mortem Tests Find CTE in Two Australian Women Killed by Partners

Post-mortem analysis in 2024 identified chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the brains of two Australian women in their 30s and 40s who had suffered repeated head injuries from intimate partner violence, Abc reported. The women were the first reported cases in Australia of CTE tied to domestic abuse. The women had endured decades of assaults before their deaths.

Neurologist Craig Costello said CTE is a progressive, incurable condition marked by brain cell loss that can lead to dementia and cannot be confirmed until after death. Samantha Schulte, chief executive of The Survivor Service, said the findings show that the effects of domestic violence persist long after the abuse ends.

"It really enforces [that] the impacts of domestic and family violence don't end when domestic violence ends," she said.

Schulte added that many victim-survivors remain unaware of CTE risk because the condition is more commonly linked to high-impact sports. She called for greater awareness in the broader community and service sectors. Sarah Willey, chief executive of ConneCTErs Australia, said victims of chronic physical domestic violence from childhood onward are also vulnerable.

"What we need to do is really move away from anyone just solely thinking that this is something that professional athletes can develop, because that's incorrect," she said. In May, ConneCTErs Australia opened its first office in Townsville in partnership with Dementia Australia to coordinate support nationwide. The federal government provided Dementia Australia with $12.5 million to address CTE.

Willey noted that North Queensland faces elevated risk due to higher rates of violence. Costello said patients can receive a diagnosis of likely or probable CTE while alive if they meet clinical criteria, with symptoms that include impulsivity or memory loss.