They lost their little angel to an act of irrational violence. A completely normal part of life suddenly becomes a catastrophe. The parents of Lilie James want you to see this to learn from it so their misfortune may save someone else.
Lilie James, a 21-year-old water polo coach, was murdered on October 25, 2023, at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney, Australia. She was killed by her ex-boyfriend, Paul Thijssen, a 23-year-old fellow coach at the school. The attack took place in a bathroom, where Thijssen used a hammer to carry out the crime. The two had been in a brief relationship, which Lilie ended just days before her death.
Investigations revealed that Thijssen had carefully planned the murder, even rehearsing the act beforehand, and had been stalking her for several days leading up to the incident. After committing the murder, Thijssen used Lilie’s phone to send text messages to her father, asking him to come pick her up from school. Later, Thijssen contacted emergency services to report the location of her body. Following this, he fled the scene and took his own life by jumping off a cliff.
The tragic loss of Lilie, described as a kind and talented young woman, left her family, friends, and community devastated. Studies have shown that 50 to 75% of female homicide victims murdered by their abusive partners are killed when they try to leave the relationship.
