Hannah Clarke, born on September 8, 1988, in Australia, met Rowan Baxter, a man eleven years her senior from New Zealand, at the age of 19, and they quickly formed a relationship. Baxter, an ex-rugby league player who had trialed with the New Zealand Warriors and had been previously married, proposed to Ms Clarke in 2011. The couple wed in Kingscliff, New South Wales, in 2012, and went on to have three children, Aaliyah, Laianah, and Trey.
Warning Signs and Control
Church pastor Christopher Ensbey characterized Baxter as possessing an ‘alpha male’ demeanor, exhibiting ‘controlling and paranoid’ actions within his marriage to Hannah.
Ms Clarke disclosed to the pastor that Baxter would demand sex every day and controlled her daily schedule. Throughout their marriage, Baxter frequently threatened suicide, insulted Clarke by calling her ‘fat pig’, and restricted her from wearing shorts or pink attire, claiming they were ‘for children.’
Lewis Bartlett, Ms Clarke’s boss at a sports shoe store and an acquaintance of Baxter since 2008, learned that Ms Clarke planned to leave her husband in late 2019. She had described their relationship as abusive, although she said Baxter had never physically assaulted her. Mr Bartlett recalled Ms Clarke saying she needed Baxter’s permission for everything, even wearing shorts to work.
Escalation After Separation
In early December 2019, Ms Clarke left her marriage to Baxter, moving to her parents’ house with her children. Ms Clarke confided in a friend that if she didn’t do what Baxter wanted after the separation, the kids would pay for it the next day by not getting a treat or going to the beach. Baxter admitted to a friend that he left a recording device at Ms Clarke’s house to keep track of her.
Baxter continued to see his children but on Boxing Day in 2019 he fled with Laianah, disappearing for more than two days. After Laianah was returned to her mother, Ms Clarke took out a protection order against Baxter. In early February 2020, Baxter was charged for violating this order.
Mounting Fears and a Tragic Final Act
Ms Clarke shared fears about her safety with her mother and friends, though she doubted he would harm their children. Nicole Brooks, Ms Clarke’s close friend, alerted the police that she was concerned Baxter could harm Ms Clarke, but was told they could act only if he ‘did something’.
On February 19, 2020, while Ms Clarke was taking her children to school in Camp Hill, Queensland, Baxter jumped into her car carrying a jerry can full of petrol and a knife. He doused the car’s interior with petrol and set it ablaze. Ms Clarke was pulled from the vehicle by bystanders. As the car burned with the children inside, Baxter prevented efforts to extinguish the flames before he fatally stabbed himself. Tragically, Aaliyah (6), Laianah (4), and Trey (3) were pronounced dead at the scene. Ms Clarke succumbed to burns covering 97% of her body at the Royal Brisbane Hospital later that evening.
Aftermath and Legacy
This devastating incident ignited a nationwide conversation about domestic violence in Australia, after reports emerged that Baxter had a history of abuse and misogyny and had been subjected to protection and child custody orders.
In March 2020, the Clarke family founded ‘Small Steps 4 Hannah’ in memory of their murdered daughter and grandchildren, aiming to combat domestic and family violence across Australia. Hannah’s parents, Sue and Lloyd Clarke, tirelessly advocated for making coercive control a criminal offense.
For her family’s activism and the national dialogue it sparked, Hannah Clarke was posthumously recognized as one of Marie Claire magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ in December 2020.
In a significant legal milestone, Queensland criminalized coercive control in March 2024, introducing a maximum sentence of 14 years. This law, inspired by the advocacy of the Clarke family and their tragic loss, marks a significant step in recognizing and addressing the complexities of abusive relationships, setting a precedent for further legal advancements against domestic violence.
Featured image: Hannah Clarke with her children Aaliyah, Laianah, and Trey. Source: Facebook.
