Push for Domestic violence to be stand-alone offence rejected

A proposal by the Queensland Police Union to make domestic violence a stand-alone offence, which included a 50,000-signature petition in support, has been rejected.

Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Amanda Camm. Picture: John Gass

A proposal by the Queensland Police Union to make domestic violence a stand-alone offence has been rejected by the minister for domestic and family violence Amanda Camm.

It comes as a Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council report has found first-time domestic violence offenders received jail time only about six per cent of the time, when analysing an eight-year period.

After garnering almost 50,000 signatures, the QPU requested the state government immediately legislate ‘commit domestic and family violence” as a stand-alone offence, saying it would reduce paperwork and make perpetrators appear in court sooner.

However on Thursday Ms Camm did not move to legislate.

“I agree that efficient and effective policing is an essential part of Queensland’s response to DFV. It is also critical to ensure the safety of victim-survivors and that persons using violence are held accountable, as well as assisting them to change their abusive behaviours.

“I am working with the Honourable Dan Purdie MP, Minister for Police and Emergency Services to implement additional responses to DFV, including a new Police Protection Directions Framework to support the achievement of police efficiencies,” a tabled document from Ms Camm addressed to the Clerk read.

Ms Camm said she had directed the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety to develop a new DFV Reform Strategy to guide systematic changes.

“The safety of victim-survivors is my paramount concern. I expect the Strategy will work towards a Queensland where DFV is not tolerated, people are safe in their homes and communities and contributing to a reduction in the number of victims.”

The decision by the government comes as QSAC data also found repeat offenders received imprisonment in about 30 per cent of the cases.

QSAC Council Chair, the Hon Ann Lyons, said the data showed how the justice system responded to first-time and repeat offenders.

The data focused on cases were contravention of a domestic violence order (CDVO) was the most serious offence sentenced.

“Over the 8 years leading up to 30 June 2024, a monetary penalty was the most common outcome for first-time DV offenders sentenced for CDVO, accounting for 52.9 per cent of cases,” Ms Lyons said.

“However, this percentage significantly decreased to 27.4 per cent when the individual had a prior conviction for a DV offence,” Ms Lyons said.

“Only a small fraction – 6.1 per cent – of first-time DV offenders who breach DV orders receive imprisonment. However, this changed dramatically if they had prior DV offences, with 30.9 per cent resulting in imprisonment.

“It’s interesting to see the shift in punishment from a fine for the first-time offence to imprisonment for a second or subsequent offence in recognition of the increased seriousness when there is a previous history of DV offending and the higher maximum penalty that applies.”

The report also found that 82.2 per cent of all adults sentenced for a contravention, who received imprisonment, had a term less than 12 months. The average across all cases was 6.7 months.

Almost half of the individuals sentenced for contravening a domestic violence order reoffended and Ms Lyons said it raised questions about the “effectiveness of the current deterrent and rehabilitation efforts”.