A TEARFUL and angry Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has demanded that “good men say enough is enough’’, after cops were called to a staggering 100,000 domestic violence cases across Queensland last year.
Ms Carroll revealed that police were dealing with 267 DV cases every day, with call-outs soaring 7.5 per cent to a record 97,500 in the space of a year.
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In an exclusive interview yesterday, Ms Carroll demanded that good men blow the whistle on family violence to stop the carnage’.
She said men should reach out to friends and colleagues struggling with anger or depression after a break-up.
“This is about good men saying enough is enough,’’ she said.
“Good men need to talk to their mates and colleagues and try to get them help.
“You can’t and should not be a bystander.
“Someone’s got to stand up and render a helping hand and intervene.’’
Ms Carroll said she cried when she heard about the Camp Hill murders, which left first responders traumatised.
“Even when I heard it, I had tears running down my face,’’ she said.
“What’s so upsetting is the viciousness of the murder — the way it was done is incomprehensible.
“This needs to be used as an example of things that can happen if we don’t start to have respectful relationships and getting assistance for mental health.’’
Dame Quentin Bryce, the former governor-general who chaired the state’s Not Now, Not Ever inquiry into domestic violence in 2014, yesterday said the Camp Hill deaths had “shocked and shattered our community and our country’’.
“The horrific family violence of this week involved unspeakable cruelty, un-imaginable suffering, pain and loss,’’ she said.
“In the midst of despair we ask how could this have happened in our society in 2020?
“Why does it keep happening?
“As we search desperately for answers we must draw on our every strength and come together with unity of purpose determined to continue working to end domestic violence.’’
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Di Farmer said yesterday all 140 recommendations of Dame Quentin’s inquiry had been implemented last year.
“DV can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime,’’ she said.
“We all have to play a role in ending it — we can all do something.
“We have to call out DV and set a standard for the way we treat each other.
“In the meantime, we’re all hugging our loved ones that little bit closer.’’
Former Seven News anchor Kay McGrath, who co-chairs the State Government’s Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council, yesterday warned that “to get in front of the problem is virtually impossible at the moment’’.
“Government can’t do it on its own,’’ she said.
“We’re going to be challenging the community to take ownership of this issue.
“Domestic violence doesn’t just happen in Camp Hill – it is in Ascot and Clayfield and Brookfield and Auchenflower.
“It’s not just restricted to disadvantaged areas. We need to wake up to the fact that it’s happening next door.’’
Ms McGrath said Queenslanders need to “listen, believe, help, support and guide people to existing services, which are struggling to cope with the demand’’.
“If you see somebody being assaulted do something – call it out and call the police,’’ she said.
Ms Carroll urged Queenslanders not to turn a blind eye to domestic violence, and to use the Camp Hill carnage of Wednesday morning to open conversations about respectful relationships.
“As soon as I got home (on Wednesday night), my first words to my family were, ‘Did you see what happened today?’ ” she said.
“We had a conversation about respecting each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, you’ll get angry with each other sometimes but you need to settle down and be reasonable.’’
Ms Carroll said domestic violence was taking up more police time than other crimes.
“We’ve had a dramatic spike in DV occurrences, including breaches of DVOs (domestic violence orders), strangulation and DV applications,’’ she said.
“It takes up the majority of police time.
“It sits around (issues of) power and control, and on top of that deteriorating mental health.
“Domestic violence is a societal scourge and we all need to take responsibility to do something about it – not just police, not just agencies, but communities and families.’’
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