After Clarke murders, controlling a partner’s clothing and money is set to be crime

Controlling what a partner wears and limiting their access to money will become a crime in Queensland under new laws proposed to crack down on domestic violence.

On Wednesday morning, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a taskforce charged with drawing up legislation to criminalise coercive control.

Known as intimate terrorism, coercive control is a pattern of emotional abuse that can be a precursor to physical violence.

The taskforce will be headed by former Court of Appeal judge Margaret McMurdo, who led the “Lawyer X” Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants.

The murder of Hannah Clarke and her three children – Aaliyah, Laianah, and Trey – in Brisbane’s south on February 19, 2020, drew attention to coercive control.

Friday marks one year since the 31-year-old mother and her three young children were ambushed on their drive to school, doused in petrol and set alight by Ms Clarke’s estranged husband.

The children died in the car and Ms Clarke succumbed to her injuries in hospital later that day.

Their attacker, Rowan Baxter, died from self-inflicted wounds near the scene.

At the time of the murders, Baxter was due to appear in court on domestic violence charges after he assaulted Ms Clarke and kidnapped their daughter on Boxing Day 2019.

Ms Clarke’s family said she was the victim of sexual and emotional abuse for years.

The Queensland government plans to become the second state in Australia to outlaw coercive control.

“It includes behaviours such as controlling what someone wears, limiting access to money, tracking someone’s location, controlling who they see and persistent texting, and it can lead to physical violence,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“We’ve seen legislation against coercive control in places like the UK, and it’s important that we, too, have legislation in place to better protect victims.”

The legislation was first proposed by the LNP a year ago.

In August, when questioned on the issue in the lead-up to the state election, Ms Palaszczuk said she had no plans make coercive control a crime and did not reveal the legislative plans.

The Premier referred the issue to the state’s re-established Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council, co-chaired by Kay McGrath and former Queensland police commissioner Bob Atkinson.

The council spent months considering the issue.

Ms Palaszczuk said the new taskforce would consult with survivors, domestic violence experts and lawyers.

If you or someone you know needs help or support, contact DV Connect on 1800 811 811 or 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or the Brisbane Domestic Violence Service on 07 3217 2544.