Hannah's Voice
Allied Justice in Partnership with the McGuire Family
We are honoured to be partnering with Debbie and Glenn to bring Hannah’s legacy to life and change the stories of young women experiencing intimate partner violence.
Hannah’s legacy will always remain with her parents, and we honour this in everything we do. Our work will be guided by a steering committee comprised of her family and friends, alongside representatives of Allied Justice.
Projects and initiatives will be shared on this page as they are developed, as we work in partnership to deliver education, strengthen responses, and create safer communities.
“Our world changed forever when Hannah was taken from us. We are still learning how to live with that loss. But in the midst of our grief, we hold onto the hope that Hannah’s legacy can help bring about the change needed to end the violence that stole her life.”
Debbie McGuire
Hannah's Murder
On November 18, 2025, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison with a non-parole period of 22 years and four months. He will be eligible for parole in 2046.
Across Victoria, women and girls continue to experience high rates of family and intimate partner violence. Early warning signs are often missed, legal options can be unclear, and responses can vary. Hannah’s Voice will provide trauma‑informed, lived‑experience‑led education to support earlier action and prevention.
Hannah McGuire was a 23-year-old teacher’s aide from Clunes. Her ex-partner strangled her in their Sebastopol home in April 2024 and burned her body in her vehicle near Scarsdale.
He initially denied murder but, eight days into his trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria in Ballarat, changed his plea to guilty.
“Hannah’s Voice will help strengthen the way our systems respond, educate, and prevent violence before harm occurs. This work has required us to sit with the human cost of failure, and to confront where systems did not protect a young woman who deserved safety.”
Narelle Laing
Letter to Hannah
Dear Hannah,
You were a young woman living an ordinary life, following ordinary dreams – dreams every young woman should be free to have. For most of us in this room, we did not know your name or your story. When the unimaginable happened, your name, your face and your story reached our homes and our hearts.
We shed tears as we knew you through our own daughters, sisters, friends.
Today is the beginning of extraordinary. Through your family, friends and colleagues we will learn and understand your journey. We will find where the system failed you and we will advocate for change.
At the forefront of our work will be education. It is an honour to carry your legacy, to find your voice in the memories of those who knew you and loved you.
Our promise is to you, your family, and to every victim-survivor of family violence in our community. Women have the right to live free from harm and we will not give up the fight.
We will hold mum and dad gently as we travel this journey together. We will create new pathways for your friends to influence change.
There will be tears and there will be laughter. We will knock on doors and push for more. We will question, challenge, educate and advocate.
Your voice will be heard in the classrooms of ordinary schools with students living ordinary lives. The extraordinary will be their safety.
We hold your memory at the very core of Hannah’s Voice.
Hannah, your voice will change lives and leave a lifelong imprint on our hearts.
The team at Allied Justice.
Donating to Hannah's Voice
Allied Justice is a registered charity and can receive tax-deductible donations in Australia.
We deeply value the generous support of individuals, community groups, and businesses.
The Hannah’s Voice Steering Committee will guide how donated funds are used to strengthen and expand this work, and we will provide updates on how contributions are making a difference.
Thank you for supporting Hannah's Voice
The Vision for Hannah's Voice
Across Victoria, gendered violence, including family and intimate partner violence, continues to affect individuals and communities. Early warning signs are often missed, and prevention starts with recognising patterns early and challenging inequality and control. Hannah’s Voice delivers trauma-informed, lived-experience education to support early recognition and action.
“Hannah believed deeply in the power of education.
She saw it not as something done in isolation, but as a partnership—one built on care, understanding and shared responsibility.”
Debbie McGuire
Prevention, Education and Early Intervention
Hannah’s Story: Inspire Change Through Lived Experience
Hannah’s life mattered—to her family, friends, colleagues and community.
Her story, values and lived experience can help others recognise risk, seek support, and contribute to lasting change.
Early Warning Signs: Build Awareness of Risk Factors
Family violence can affect a person’s safety, finances, wellbeing and legal position. By sharing Hannah’s story, Hannah’s Voice helps women recognise early warning signs and understand when to seek support.
Legal Response: Strengthen Legal Literacy
As a community legal education program, Hannah’s Voice helps victims—and the families and friends supporting them—understand available legal pathways to respond to family and intimate partner violence.
Hannah's Voice for Young People
Legal knowledge for young people to understand and act on their right to safety. Civil and criminal pathways for protection.
A Mother’s Love: Empower Families
We help parents and carers understand how to support their daughter through the stages of family and intimate partner violence—safely, practically and compassionately.
One of Our Own: Turning Lived Experience into Systemic Impact
Debbie McGuire served as a Victoria Police member for 15 years. Hannah’s Voice creates an opportunity to strengthen education within VicPol, so Hannah’s message is present when members respond to family and intimate partner violence.
Respect Victoria Grant
Allied Justice has received funding from the Respect Ballarat Grants Program to support Hannah’s Voice. The community education initiative aims to prevents family and intimate partner violence through early intervention, legal literacy and respectful relationships education.
The funding will support the delivery of respectful relationships education in Ballarat secondary schools, with a focus on helping young people recognise early warning signs of harm, understand boundaries and consent, and access information and support pathways sooner.
The Respect Ballarat funding will support the education component of Hannah’s Voice. The program uses a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach and comprises:
- Education for teenage girls focused on consent, boundaries, early warning signs and available support options.
- Education for teenage boys that promotes accountability, respectful behaviour and an understanding of legal consequences.
- Resources for families and carers to recognise concerns and respond safely and compassionately.
- Clear referral pathways to legal and specialist support services.
Hannah’s Voice brings together lived experience, community legal education and evidence-based prevention frameworks to support consistent, informed responses to gendered violence in Ballarat.
Understanding Hannah's Voice
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Fundraising
If you are interested in holding a Fundraising Event on behalf of Hannah's Voice, please email hannahsvoice@alliedjustice.org.au so we can work with you to ensure your event receives the Steering Committee's approval.
Please download and read the Fundraising Policy prior to making contact.
Click the button to download the Fundraising policy
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