Domestic violence Qld: Police union wants new offence legislated

Queensland police want a new offence legislated which they claim will reduce paperwork and make perpetrators appear in court sooner.

Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior

Police officers want a new offence of “commit domestic violence” which they claim will reduce paperwork and make perpetrators appear in court sooner, according to the Queensland Police Union.

The proposal is one of a raft of changes being proposed by new union president Shane Prior, who says the current framework has a reliance on domestic violence orders as a prerequisite for prosecution.

He said victims were often subjected to violence before a DVO could be obtained and served, leaving them vulnerable during critical periods, while the process of applying for and enforcing orders placed a significant burden on police, victims and the courts.

“The QPU, in its commitment to both our members and the community, proposes a bold solution: the creation of a stand-alone offence of ʻcommitting domestic violence’ within the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act,” Mr Prior wrote in the union journal.

“This reform, aligned with recommendations from past taskforces and inquiries, aims to streamline the legal response to DFV by removing the reliance on domestic violence orders as a prerequisite for prosecution.”

Red Rose Foundation CEO Brian Sullivan

Mr Prior said a stand-alone offence directly criminalised domestic and family violence, and the union was also campaigning for a system similar to one used in Tasmania where officers would issue an order at a scene which had immediate force.

The orders would remain for 12 months unless challenged by the respondents in the courts within 28 days.

Red Rose Foundation CEO Brian Sullivan, who is also on numerous DV committees and provides training to police, said Queensland was failing to meet goals of keeping women safe and holding violent men to account, largely because of the systems in place.
He said the proposal for the offence in its intention and vision was to be applauded, but more details were needed so there were no unintended consequences for victims and survivors.

“DV as a stand-alone criminal offence is a strong stand,” he said.

“However, tweaking parts of the system, in a fragmentary (albeit well-intentioned manner) without addressing gaps and glitches in other parts of the system overall, can have negative flow-on results.”
Mr Sullivan said a major overhaul of the system including men’s violence to women and children with government bodies such as courts and police and non-government bodies such as women’s services and men’s DV intervention groups required a plan for each intersecting part of the system.

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Amanda Camm

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Amanda Camm said the government had inherited a broken DFV system and that major reform was needed, but she stopped short of committing to the union’s proposal.

“There has been no significant reform in the system in the past decade, resulting in police calls for service for domestic and family violence to reach record highs,” she said in a statement.

“This is unacceptable.

“It is why we have committed to significant domestic and family violence reform, putting GPS trackers on high-risk domestic violence offenders, forming a working group with victims of DV and sexual violence and recently launching a review into DVConnect.

“We will also expand Hope Hub recovery centres to three additional sites across Queensland to protect our most vulnerable.

“I am committed to working on behalf of victims ensuring system gaps are identified and reform and investment that delivers improvements to ensure our community is safe including the Queensland Police Service.”