Qld child killer laws could snag ‘innocent’ parents

Multiple legal bodies have warned on the unintended possible side effects of Queensland’s new tougher laws for child killers.

QUEENSLAND lawyers have warned that parents who accidentally kill their children could be locked up for life under proposed reforms that would bolster jail sentences for child killers.

The Bar Association of Queensland has criticised the proposed changes, telling a parliamentary committee that the laws could be far-reaching.

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Under the State Government’s reforms, the definition of murder would be widened to include reckless indifference to human life, meaning anyone convicted would be sentenced to at least 20 years’ jail.

In its submission to the committee, the Bar Association said it could imagine several “domestic scenarios” being captured under the Bill, such as a parent being charged for leaving a pool gate open.

“There are other examples such as driving offences... gun accidents and various kinds of behaviour affected by alcohol or drugs, which could now be charged as murder,” it wrote.

“The experience of the association’s members is that the proposed changes will unduly (and improperly) affect jury deliberations of criminal justice.”

The Queensland Law Society raised concerns with the legislation as well, also telling the committee it would place some accidents in the same category as murder.

Society president Bill Potts said this could include a child drowning after being left in a bathtub, or a parent accidentally running over a child playing in the driveway.

“Do we really want to place intentional murder in the same category as these tragic accidents?” he said.

Mr Potts also criticised the LNP’s proposed laws, which would lead to the introduction of a new offence called child homicide that would be punishable by a mandatory minimum non-parole period of 15 years’ jail.

“The Law Society has a strong stance against mandatory sentencing,” he said.

“We think the courts should be aware of all of the facts, all of the circumstance.”

The Women’s Legal Service of Queensland also opposed the laws.