DV Qld: New police powers set to better protect victims

The state government on Wednesday moved to introduce new laws allowing police the ability to issue on-the-spot 12-month directions to suspected domestic violence offenders.

Lloyd and Sue Clarke (centre) with Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Amanda Camm and Police Minister Dan Purdie. Picture: Office of the Premier

• Opinion: This is the wrong move

Every woman identified as a domestic violence offender under landmark new police powers will reviewed within 24 hours, amid concerns misidentification could put them at risk.

The state government on Wednesday moved to introduce new laws allowing Queensland police the ability to issue on-the-spot 12-month police protection directions.

The direction instructs the respondent to not commit domestic violence against the person for one year, and could also include cool-down, request-to-leave or no-contact conditions.

Sue and Lloyd Clarke – whose daughter Hannah and three grandchildren were murdered in 2020 by their ex-partner and father – backed the changes.

They visited Queensland Parliament before travelling to Government House to accept an Order of Australia Medal for their work combating domestic and family violence.

“Clearly things aren’t working at the moment with too many women being killed, too many this year,” Ms Clarke said.

“One more is too many. It should have been a line in the sand when we lost our family.”

However stakeholders have raised concern victims will be misidentified as perpetrators.

Queensland Council of Social Service CEO Aimee McVeigh said the laws served only the police, not victims.

“Our concern is the government is rushing through legislation called for by the police union,” she said.

Queensland Council of Social Service CEO Aimee McVeigh

“We will just never support a law – no matter how much it’ll improve police efficiency – if it will not improve the safety of women and children.”

QCOSS has argued that the introduction of 12-month PPD could negatively impact victims who are misidentified as perpetrators by responding police.

“The DV Review Board report showed almost half the deaths of women in Queensland had been misidentified as the respondent,” Ms McVeigh said.

“This is significant … and while efforts have been made to reduce misidentification, cultural issues still need to be addressed and police need more training.”

Ms Clarke acknowledged the concern, but said better education would equip police to act decisively.

“I like to trust in the police doing their jobs and being educated better at recognising (coercive control),” she said.

“The police have to look at talking to friends and family as to what they’ve seen as to red flags with coercive control.”

Queensland’s top cop on Friday morning dismissed criticism that the proposed changes are an overreach that won’t provide any additional protection.

Acting police commissioner Shane Chelepy told 4BC new laws introduced to parliament this week would slash time spent at domestic violence call-outs, freeing up valuable police hours.

“The use of a police protection direction will see that close to two-thirds of the domestic and family violence offences that we turn up to, now we will be able to issue an immediate police protection direction to give that victim survivor protection right there on the spot for 12 months,” Mr Chelepy said.

“Current order takes four to five hours for a police officer to take out. We’re expecting these to be under an hour.

“The most important thing is it’ll free up that police time, which will allow the police to focus on our victim survivors.”

Despite acknowledging the gains in productivity, Mr Chelepy said it was time for a change.

“What we’re seeing is a 218 per cent increase in domestic and family violence over the last decade,” Mr Chelepy said.

“We can’t just keep using a system that we’ve been using for years.

“I think it does bring good benefits to our victim survivors, but it also ensures the police are armed with the tools to do the job they need to do.

“What we have to do is make sure the system keeps changing so that we can respond to that. The safeguards are there. If people feel aggrieved, they can contest the matter in court. They can have the orders changed.”

Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Minister Amanda Camm said significant safeguards would be in place.

“In any investigation where a female is identified as the potential or alleged perpetrator, a gender centre review will be undertaken,” she said.

The effectiveness of the laws would be reviewed after two years, and Ms Camm committed to making the results public.

Originally published as DV Qld: New police powers set to better protect victims