'HELP': Truth behind 'scary' message spotted on apartment window
A message on a window in Sydney's west that, at first glance, appears to be a cry for help has instead sparked anger.
The sign was shared on Facebook and appears to show the word “help” printed on a window. The woman who shared it claims it was seen in an apartment building in Rhodes.
Some people who viewed it were worried about whoever posted the message.
“Scary. Hope everything is OK,” one woman wrote.
Another woman hoped it was “nothing serious”.
However, it turns out the message isn’t an SOS, as a few eagle-eyed readers picked out.
“This is a Halloween window decal,” one woman wrote.
It’s not clear if the person who has the decal up in their window did it for any nefarious reason or simply forgot to take down all their Halloween decorations.
Nonetheless, some people were angry that the message could be seen from the street.
“If this is a joke it’s a f****** stupid and irresponsible joke,” one man wrote. “The amount of women and children that suffer from domestic abuse is beyond control.
Another man wrote it should be illegal adding “it’s in poor taste”.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2.2 million Australians have experience physical or sexual violence at the hands of their partner and 3.6 million suffered emotional abuse.
The survey, conducted in 2016, also claims one in six women have experienced physical or sexual abuse from their partners.
The rate of women being victims of sexual assault has risen in the past decade too – from 143.8 per 100,000 people in 2010 to 178.7 in 2020.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
