Women’s Legal Services Queensland calls for overhaul of bail laws after Wooloowin house fire

Domestic violence law experts have called for an immediate rethink of the state’s bail laws after a man was charged with attempted murder after allegedly torching his partner’s home.

Queensland’s leading legal service for female victims of domestic and family violence have called for an immediate rethink of the state’s bail laws.

It comes after a man was charged with attempted murder less than a day after he was released by police following an alleged domestic violence incident.

The man, who will face court today, was released on bail following an alleged disturbance just hours before police allege he went to his partner’s Wooloowin home and allegedly set it alight.

Two women inside managed to escape without injury.

Supplied image of a house fire at Wooloowin, that later led to a man being charged with two counts of attempted murder.

Bail laws have come under the spotlight recently after Doreen Langham and Kelly Wilkinson were set alight and murdered, allegedly at the hands of their former partners.

Both men were out on bail at the time.

Women’s Legal Services Queensland (WLSQ) has today renewed its continuous calls for a review of bail laws, calling for an independent investigation of police domestic violence procedures.

CEO of Women's Legal Service Queensland Angela Lynch calls for immediate changes to bail laws. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“The main purpose of a review or investigation to work out how we can prevent violence. There has clearly been a failure here and it’s important to know what it was,” WLSQ CEO Angela Lynch said.

“The government and police know very well this issue isn’t going to go away until we see more transparency and meaningful changes to the way the system identifies and responds to the risk of family violence.”

Speaking at the scene of the Wooloowin house fire on Sunday, Police Inspector Sean Cryer said officers had been called to an alleged disturbance late on Saturday evening, where they arrived within five minutes of receiving the call for help.

“Within two minutes of arriving we had a male person in custody and he was taken into custody on investigation of family violence,” Insp Cryer said.

“That person was taken back to the Brisbane City watch house where he was processed on what had happened, as a result of which he was released earlier on this morning on some very strict conditions including an order that he couldn’t return to the residence.”

However, WLSQ says those bail conditions, and all bail conditions involving domestic violence, need a rethink.

“We need an immediate rethink on our bail processes where there is domestic violence and it can’t wait for the Mcmurdo review recommendations due in March 2022,” Ms Lynch said.