Hannah Clarke, sometimes referred to as Hannah Baxter, was an Australian woman who was fatally burned in a petrol fire in her car in a murder–suicide by her estranged husband, Rowan Baxter, along with their three children, on 19 February 2020 in Camp Hill, Queensland. The murders sparked a national debate about domestic violence in Australia, after reports emerged that Baxter had a history of violence, misogyny, and had been subjected to a domestic violence order as well as child custody orders as recently as the month of the murders.
Background
Clarke met New Zealand-born Baxter, 11 years her senior, in 2009 when she was 19. The former rugby leagueplayer was previously married to someone else. He proposed to Clarke in 2011 and they married in Kingscliff, New South Wales in 2012. They had three children: Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3. Reports emerged after the murders that Clarke had been emotionally, physically, sexually and financially abused by Baxter during their relationship. Baxter was subjected to a DVO after he allegedly kidnapped their elder daughter on Boxing Day 2019. He had rejected his lawyer's advice in mediation and refused to sign a consent order offered by Clarke, allowing him 165 days of custody a year. The DVO was varied in the Holland ParkMagistrates Court in January 2020, returning Baxter's full access to his children. Baxter and Clarke then went to mediation, with Baxter refusing to sign the consent order which would lock in custody of the children. He subsequently signed a parenting agreement that gave him the same level of access but was not legally-binding. This access was revoked in early February when police charged him with breaching the DVO. At this time, Clarke had started to legally use her maiden name rather than her married name.
Attack
On 19 February 2020, Baxter set fire to the interior of the car Clarke was driving to drop their children at school, quickly burning the children restrained by seat belts in the back seat. Clarke was able to make it out of the car and allegedly told witnesses that Baxter had poured petrol on her. While the car was burning, Baxter attempted to stop bystanders from putting out the fire before he stabbed himself to death. Clarke was rushed to the Royal Brisbane Hospital with burns to 97% of her body, but died there that evening. A bystander who tried to assist was also hospitalised
