Domestic violence case workers welcome new laws to criminalist coercive control

Technology that was initially designed to protect families has been perverted by abusers who use CCTV, phone tracking apps and GPS devices to monitor, stalk and terrorise their partners.

Advocates working on the frontline of the Queensland domestic violence crisis have welcomed proposed new laws that would criminalise coercive control.

The Queensland Government introduced the draft laws to parliament on Friday and took aim at the abusers who use technology and smart phone apps to track, control and terrorise their victims by updating the definition of stalking in the Criminal Code.

The Domestic and Family Violence Protection (Combating Coercive Control) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill will broaden the definition of domestic violence to include a ‘pattern of behaviour’ and strengthen the court’s response to cross application of protection orders, to ensure the person most at risk is being protected.

Magistrates will have greater authority to consider previous domestic violence history in sentencing.

Domestic Violence Action Centre Toowoomba service manager Kath Turley said she hoped the new laws would make it easier for victims to secure Domestic Violence Protection Orders and lead to faster response when those orders are breached.

“Coercive control is something we have been talking about for a while and this gives us the ability to have domestic violence more recognised including the different components we see and the different tactics perpetrators use,” she said.

“This is one piece of a broader conversation about providing victim survivors with increased protection.”

Domestic Violence Action Centre, DVAC Toowoomba service manager Kath Turley welcomed new laws that criminalise coercive control.

Technology that was initially designed to keep families safe is perverted by abusers and Ms Turley said it has become a daily feature in cases her staff respond to.

It can include abusers using phone tracking apps or car GPS devices to monitor their partner’s movements or banking apps to track their partners spending habits.

In a recent example a man travelling overseas placed hidden cameras in his home to monitor his partner without her knowledge.

“(The new coercive control laws) are another way to make a strong stand against individuals using these tactics so they are called to account of what they are doing,” Ms Turley said.

“Technology is used daily and it is a prominent form of abuse that we have identified and that doesn’t surprise me.

“Everyone has a form of technology on them.”

The government expects the proposed amendment will become law by the end of 2023.

It is hoped that criminalising coercive control will result in offenders placed before the court long before their behaviour turns violent.

Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman introduced new laws targeting domestic violence. Photo: Sarah Marshall

“The call for action on a roll out for education for all the areas where this is going to have an impact so that police, prosecutor, magistrates and case workers are working from the same song book,” Ms Turley said.

Attorney-General, and Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Minister Shannon Fentiman said the reforms lay the foundation for the passage of a stand-alone offence of coercive control next year.

“This bill makes a number of amendments to further shift our approach to domestic and family violence to focus on the dangerous patterns of abusive behaviour which over time,” she said.

The bill also replaces the term ‘carnal knowledge’ and changes the title of the offence ‘maintaining a sexual relationship with a child’ to ‘repeated sexual conduct with a child’.