Shereen Kumar's friend Erika Wadlow-Smith opens up about her murder by her ... trends now
The closest friend of a woman who was murdered by her partner has broken her silence to slam the stereotype that 'domestic violence only happens to weak or easily led, vulnerable women'.
Shereen Kumar, 43, was killed by her boyfriend, Vincent Carlino, in July 2022 inside their home at Dural, in Sydney's north-west, before dumping her body in a bushland grave.
Shereen's friend, Erika Wadlow-Smith, has now expressed confusion at how she 'could possibly be interested in him'.
Carlino was arrested on July 23, 2022, just four days after Ms Kumar went missing from their home.
He has since pleaded guilty to murdering the mother-of-two.
Ms Kumar and Carlino's on-again-off-again relationship lasted for 17 months. Both were dog walkers and sometimes lived together, sometimes apart.
Erika Wadlow-Smith (left) has spoken out against the stereotype that 'domestic violence only happens to weak or easily led, vulnerable women' after her 'astute and intelligent' friend, Shereen Kumar (right) was killed
Ms Kumar (right) was murdered by her partner, Vincent Carlino (left), inside their Dural home, in July 2022
Ms Wadlow-Smith wasn't aware her friend had moved back in with Carlino until her missing person alert was shared by New South Wales Police.
'I was questioning everything, even the friendship.
'How could we be so close, and yet she wouldn't tell me about something as big as this? That's what domestic violence does; it's the shame of it,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday.
Ms Wadlow-Smith believes Ms Kumar was able to be manipulated by Carlino because she was 'so full of love, had such a kind heart, so full of forgiveness'.
Ms Kumar took 'a long time' to open up to her close friend about the violence she was experiencing in her relationship with Carlino and even when she finally did, she remained 'defensive'.
Carlino used various tactics to maintain control over Ms Kumar, including using her spirituality against her.
An example of the 'mind games' he frequently used against Ms Kumar occurred after the one time she retaliated against him, which he then threatened to report to police so she could no longer see her
