Court reveals shock domestic violence rates on Macleay and Russell islands

Domestic violence is so out of control on Moreton Bay’s Russell and Macleay islands that there has been a radical call for all future residents to be character tested.

Marcel Baum

2 min read

August 30, 2021 - 7:45AM

Redlands Community News

Redlands Coast

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Two islands off the coast of Brisbane have been singled out as having the highest rate of domestic violence order breaches in the state.

Russell and Macleay islands, both part of Redland city, had spiralling domestic violence rates and breaches of domestic violence orders with cases clogging up a local court.

Over the past five years, the number of breaches of orders on the islands were calculated to be double the state average.

Russell Island’s relative isolation is identified by support groups and authorities as a major influence on its domestic violence rates.

The issue was highlighted in a dramatic verbal lashing by Cleveland Magistrate Deborah Vasta, when she was handing down sentence to a man who went on a destructive rampage at his mothers’ island home.

Ms Vasta said breaches of domestic violence orders on the bay islands were more prevalent than anywhere else in the state, partly because of the isolation.

She showed her courtroom a police-sourced graph detailing more than 1200 breaches of orders on Russell Island in 2018, in the same year when there were less than 400 similar breaches across Brisbane.

The graph she used showed statistics per 100,000 people, and also revealed the second highest breach rate was at nearby Macleay Island, where there were just under 800 cases reported.

“I am starting to think that people who live so far from help need to pass a character test to live on these islands and maybe you should move,” Magistrate Vasta told the island man.

Russell Island Police investigated 23 domestic violence incidents in the two months between January and March this year, according to QPS statistics.

Much of the islands’ domestic violence matters are heard at Cleveland Magistrates Court. Picture: Richard Walker

Police on the islands were hesitant to speak publicly about the domestic violence problem in their area.

Macleay Island Police Station officer in charge Sergeant Nathan Burnett said police were kept busy working with both parties involved in incidents and connecting them with community support groups.

“We refer both the aggrieved and the respondent to support services, so that the aggrieved (victim) can get help and so that the respondent can be assisted to become a better person,” Sgt Burnett said.

“We do work very closely with affected parties. We sit down with the aggrieved and talk to them about their situation; talk about ways that we can help them keep safe; create plans so that if they think things will escalate again, they are aware of what they can do to receive help or remove themselves from that situation.”

Macleay Island’s paradisiacal setting runs counter to its high rates of domestic violence.

Data from national telephone crisis helpline DV Connect revealed people who lived outside major cities were more likely to experience domestic violence.

DV Connect chief executive Beck O’Connor said strong local help groups and community services were imperative to keeping the number of DVO breaches down.

“People living in smaller communities, outside of major cities can feel more isolated and may have fewer opportunities to get help from family and friends,” she said.

“That’s why support services such as DV Connect are so crucial. We have so much experience with navigating unique challenges and supporting Queenslanders impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence.”

People living anywhere in Queensland, including on Russell Island and Macleay Island can call DV Connect 24/7.