Sophie's mum shocked by teen's stabbing

Stabbing victim: Krystal Abey received serious wounds last October.

Sophie Elliott

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The mother of murder victim Sophie Elliott says she was "left shaking" last week after reading about stabbed teenage model, Krystal Abey, and has contacted Abey's family to offer her support.

Lesley Elliott said: "I opened the Sunday Star-Times and there's this beautiful girl with this aqua-coloured top on and Sophie's got one exactly the same, and for a split second I thought `oh my God it's her'."

Kristen Dunne-Powell – who was assaulted by broadcaster Tony Veitch in 2006 – has also contacted the Abey family to offer support.

Krystal Abey, 19, received serious stab wounds in October last year, in an incident involving her knife-wielding ex-boyfriend Cyril Champ MacDonald.

A Hamilton High Court verdict delivered last month found MacDonald not guilty of attempted murder, after he testified Abey's wounds to the stomach, wrist and thumb were accidental and occurred during a struggle as Abey tried to stop him cutting himself.

Abey, however, accused him of trying to kill her in a murder-suicide attempt.

Elliott said she was shocked at Abey's injuries. Elliott's daughter Sophie died last year after being stabbed 216 times in her own bedroom by economics tutor and former boyfriend Clayton Weatherston.

Abey, now a second-year communications studies student, spent more than seven hours in surgery following the attack. Her thumb required a skin graft from her thigh and has not regained full movement or feeling a year later.

The jury accepted MacDonald's version of events, also finding him not guilty of a second charge of wounding with intent to cause bodily harm.

But Elliott says in light of Abey's allegations, it was important to raise the issue of abuse again and recognise that there are common warning signs. She wants to raise awareness in parents to prevent young women from future attacks.

"Make sure they are safe, even if you have to be heavy-handed and bossy."

Sophie had told her mother that her public relationship with Weatherston was good, but privately, it was like walking on eggshells.

"Clayton was the life of the party but behind closed doors was a different person. One of the things Sophie would say to me was that Clayton would get this wild look on his face. He could change his moods really quickly. Sophie said she never knew whether everything was going to be fine or it wasn't.

"One week she was gorgeous, beautiful, intelligent and she was going to go places. The next she was fat, she was ugly, she was stupid, she was a slut. She came home one day and burst into tears and said, `Doesn't he know I've got low self-esteem?' And it really hit me, she'd never had low self-esteem, this is what he was doing to her."

Elliott says Sophie never met Weatherston's friends yet he was possessive and jealous of her being with other people, particularly males.

Women's Refuge figures show an average of 14 women a year are killed by their partners or ex-partners. It is common for violence to be committed by an ex-partner, who would not accept a relationship was over, Sarah Pomeroy, a Women's Refuge spokeswoman said.

"When he feels control is slipping out of his hands, he will step up the violence."

Sophie Elliot had broken off her relationship with Weatherston and was packing to move to Wellington when she was murdered. Dunne-Powell had moved out of the St Heliers home she had shared with Veitch at the time of her assault. Abey had ended her 3 1/2-year relationship with MacDonald, who reacted by damaging her property and ultimately threatening to take his own life.

Abey's family are grateful for the offers of support from Elliott and Dunne-Powell.

"We feel it is better to talk and listen than try and forget," said her father, Dirk Leenders. "Young people are always going to be stubborn, but parents are able to do something about it. I should have gone with my gut feeling from the start."

Abey was aware her father did not like her boyfriend, so was not forthcoming about problems in the relationship.

"When we visited her when she was living with him, we noticed she was depressed when we left. We should have picked up something was wrong."

Leenders says parents should be cautious of age gaps in relationships. Abey started dating MacDonald when she was 15, and still attending school. MacDonald, 18, had left school and was working.

Dunne-Powell says she sees similar signs in each abuse case she has encountered. "What I am finding from being involved in domestic violence cases is how eerily similar they all are."

www.womensrefuge.org.nz; Domestic violence 24-hour helpline: 0508 384 357

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