At around 5pm on a hot August afternoon in 2015, a 911 call comes in about a fire at a service station in Columbus, Ohio. A man has poured two jerry cans of fuel over his partner, 31-year-old Judy Malinowski, and is watching as flames engulf her.
Judy is rushed to the hospital with 90 per cent of her body burned. Doctors warn her family that her chances of survival are slim, but against all odds, Judy survives. She endures severe ongoing pain and dozens of surgeries in the years that follow, dying two years after being set on fire. After she dies, she becomes the first person in history to testify at her own murder trial.
Director Patricia Gillespie seeks to honour Judy’s remarkable strength and raise awareness about domestic violence in her documentary, The Fire That Took Her. You can watch it here.
THE END BITS
Subscribe to Mamamia
Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here.
And if this episode has brought up anything for you or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).
CREDITS
Guest: Patricia Gillespie
Host: Gemma Bath
Producer: Tahli Blackman
Audio Producer: Scott Stronach
GET IN TOUCH:
Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at
[email protected] or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.