Domestic violence Qld: Call for urgent action on shock new trend

Shocking new data shows extreme cases of domestic violence hitting a new high, amid urgent calls for action.

New domestic violence figures are sobering.

The number of Queenslanders sentenced over killing someone they know in horrific domestic violence crimes has increased, with shocking new data showing manslaughter cases hitting a new high.

The Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council’s latest damning report shows domestic violence murders and manslaughters made up about 25 per cent of cases since 2016, sparking calls from experts for more to be done to protect victims.

In the last financial year, 12 domestic violence manslaughter cases were sentenced in Queensland courts – more than a third of all manslaughter cases and almost double those of the previous year.

Domestic violence murder cases made up almost 30 per cent of all murders sentenced in Queensland last financial year – the highest number of offences since 2018.

Former Red Rose CEO and domestic violence advocate Brian Sullivan said the numbers were concerning and highlighted the need to improve systemic responses to domestic violence.

“We need to attend to these urgent needs and act swiftly if we are to reverse these murder trends, if we are to protect women and children, who are victims of violent men in intimate and family relationships,” Mr Sullivan said.

According to the report – released on Friday – five of 17 murder cases sentenced in Queensland last financial year were domestic-violence-related. It’s the highest since 2018 where eight DV murder cases were sentenced.

The report also stated 34 manslaughter cases were sentenced in Queensland courts last financial year, and more than a third were domestic violence (12).

It was the highest number of domestic violence manslaughter cases since available data in 2016.

The report also stated that 23.7 per cent of all manslaughter cases since 2016 were domestic violence-related.

Men committed more domestic violence manslaughter offences than women, with 32 cases sentenced since 2016 compared to 23 for women.

Older people were also much more likely to commit domestic violence manslaughter, while children and people under 20 years old were less likely to be convicted of the offence.

Domestic violence activist Brian Sullivan

The report said three-quarters of manslaughter cases committed by people over 60 were DV-related, compared to 35.9 per cent for offenders aged 40 to 49, and just 10 per cent for those under 20.

Mr Sullivan said women and children were being failed.

“We need to listen to women’s level of fear and threat, and then respond accordingly, to keep them safe and hold the perpetrators accountable, and unable to continue the violence abuse.”

It comes after revelations were aired earlier this month about overworked Queensland Police Service officers turning up to domestic violence jobs that were more than a week old, struggling to keep up with the demand of the epidemic.

Last year, police were called to 200,000 domestic violence jobs across the state.

Mr Sullivan said there were not enough resources to deal with the scourge, and most perpetrators got a slap on the wrist for breaching orders.

“Men who get away with breaching DVOs without any consequences are emboldened to continue or even escalate. The reality is at present there are not enough resources to deal with the number of men on DFV charges.

“There is a need for more perpetrator intervention programs and other evidenced-based interventions.”

On May 26, coercive control will become an offence in Queensland. Mr Sullivan said it was imperative that all service providers were properly trained to see the warning signs of an impending fatality, which included stalking, threats of harm, strangulation and sexual violence.

“We need to ensure our risk assessment and risk management are fixed on these warning signs and then have the capacity to act quickly and decisively when needed.

“As a systemic response to domestic and family violence, we can miss so much if we are not properly skilled and trained to respond.”

The Queensland LNP government has promised reform of the domestic violence system, and recently ordered a review of prominent domestic violence support centre, DV Connect, off the back of concerns calls were going unanswered.

The state government has also committed to rolling out GPS trackers for high-risk DV offenders, and has set up a working group with domestic violence victims to identify gaps in the system.

Originally published as Domestic violence Qld: Call for urgent action on shock new trend