Category Archives: Domestic violence

‘Devastating’ outcomes for woman abused by police officer husband after Ibac failures, report finds

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Woman’s escape plan had previously been leaked to abuser, but Victorian anti-corruption body referred case back to police’s internal investigations

Victoria’s anti-corruption commission fundamentally failed a woman who was abused by her police officer spouse, with delays in the handling of her case meaning a second officer who leaked her escape plan could not be prosecuted, a report has found.

The Victorian Inspectorate, the body responsible for overseeing the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac), tabled a special report to parliament on Tuesday regarding the case of a woman known as Emma.

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Queensland police inquiry hears allegations of recruits being taught racism, officers being raped

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State’s police commissioner reveals she too suffered sexual assault and harassment early in her career

Senior Queensland police officers taught racist attitudes to academy recruits, including comments about Indigenous people that “you can smell them before you see them”, recordings obtained by an inquiry have revealed.

The “distressing” evidence given to the inquiry into Queensland police service (QPS) responses to domestic violence included revelations the police service failed to discipline officers in cases where they were found to have racially abused colleagues, or made racist remarks.

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In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org

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‘Fear of speaking out’: Queensland police officer’s sexual assaults went unreported for years, inquiry told

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Counsel assisting the inquiry Ruth O’Gorman KC suggests system is ‘stacked against female victims’

A Queensland senior sergeant who was found by an internal police investigation to have committed nine sexual assaults of junior female officers engaged in unchecked problematic conduct for 16 years due to a culture that discouraged complaints, an inquiry has heard.

The commission of inquiry into Queensland police responses to domestic violence heard the man’s conduct included touching the breasts of a female subordinate, and following another into a toilet and suggesting he had come “for a blowjob”.

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Ex-Spice Girl Mel B tells Tory conference of need for domestic abuse reforms

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Singer tells event societal change is required if the lives of women are to be freed from threat of abuse

The former Spice Girl Melanie Brown has told an event at the Conservative party conference of her fears that the “massive issue of domestic abuse” will slip down the agenda during “these times of absolute economic chaos”.

The singer, known to millions as Mel B or “Scary Spice”, was speaking at a meeting organised by the Sun and Women’s Aid, which she became a patron of in 2018 after leaving what she described as an abusive relationship.

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Apparent rise in use of fire in domestic violence attacks must be investigated, expert says

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Research into cases of arson and burn injuries suggests links between use or threat of fire, and domestic and family violence

The apparent increase in the use of fire, petrol “dousing” or related threats by perpetrators of domestic and family violence requires greater attention from researchers and authorities, one of Australia’s leading legal experts on domestic violence says.

Domestic violence support services in Queensland have previously expressed concern that the volume of domestic cases involving fire had increased since reporting on the killing of Hannah Clarke and her children, in early 2020.

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‘Where is the evidence?’: critics take aim at NT judge who says antiracism is becoming ‘a religion’

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Opponents say it is ‘surprising’ for Judith Kelly to claim that ‘on the whole, modern Australian society is not racist’, in speech on Indigenous domestic violence

Lawyers and academics have criticised comments by a Northern Territory supreme court judge that antiracism was becoming a “religion” preventing honest discussions about the “epidemic of extreme domestic violence” against Aboriginal women.

In the 26 August speech to a gathering of women lawyers, Justice Judith Kelly said there was a “cultural component” to the violence inflicted on Aboriginal women by Aboriginal men in the territory.

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Queensland police commissioner’s evidence to inquiry sparks new call for submissions

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Commission examining responses to domestic violence says Katarina Carroll’s appearance led to ‘further communications’ from officers

Queensland’s commission of inquiry into police responses to domestic violence has unexpectedly reopened submissions to the public, citing the reaction to evidence given by the state’s police commissioner as a driver for the decision.

Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, was interrogated for more than eight hours at a public hearing in Brisbane last week after she initially declined an invitation to attend.

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Advocates angered by news Queensland police boss declined request to appear at inquiry

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Katarina Carroll declined invitation on same day police said they will ‘fully cooperate’ with domestic violence inquiry

Advocates say it was “disingenuous” for Queensland police to claim the commissioner would “fully cooperate” with a domestic violence inquiry when she had declined an initial invitation to attend.

The Queensland police service’s (QPS) commissioner, Katarina Carroll, told the inquiry on Thursday that she initially rejected an invitation to appear at a public hearing on 5 August.

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Queensland police deputy commissioner resigns over ‘vagina whisperer’ comment

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Paul Taylor apologises for remark at policing conference, which was aired at domestic violence inquiry

A senior police officer has announced his immediate resignation after an inquiry into Queensland police responses to domestic violence heard he had referred to his friend as a “vagina whisperer” at a policing conference.

The deputy commissioner, Paul Taylor, who has been a police officer for 45 years, said he was “deeply apologetic” for the harm his comments had caused and it was never his “intention” to offend anyone.

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Queensland’s police commissioner declined an initial invitation to appear at domestic violence inquiry

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Inquiry hears Katarina Carroll was asked if summons was needed for her to appear

Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, rejected an invitation to appear at an inquiry into police responses to domestic violence, prompting the commission to ask if they needed to issue a summons for her to attend.

During a hearing on Thursday, counsel assisting the inquiry, Ruth O’Gorman, said the commission first asked Carroll to give evidence on 4 August after they “formed concerns about lack of resourcing” after the testimony of assistant police commissioner Brian Codd.

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Queensland police commissioner to front extra hearing of domestic violence inquiry

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Katarina Carroll will discuss the force’s capability and culture after critics questioned why she had not been called to appear

Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, will front a domestic violence hearing this week after the state’s commission of inquiry backflipped on a previous decision not to call her to give evidence.

Carroll will appear at the inquiry’s final public hearing on Thursday to discuss the organisation’s capability, capacity and structure to respond to domestic violence, as well as cultural issues within the force.

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Police visited Ayr home hours before fire that resulted in woman’s death

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Queensland crime and corruption commission to investigate officer interactions with victim and her partner before house fire

A homicide investigation is under way into the death of a north Queensland woman who spoke with police officers hours before her home erupted into flames.

The 47-year-old Ayr woman died in hospital from severe burns after her house was gutted by a fire that police said was “probably deliberately lit” early on Tuesday morning.

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In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org

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Queensland officers investigated colleagues from same police station over ‘failure of duty’ allegations

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Over five weeks of hearings, inquiry has heard allegations of police failures toward domestic violence victims

One in five allegations about Queensland police failures in responding to domestic violence complaints were investigated by officers working at the same station or work group, a commission of inquiry has heard.

The inquiry was told of 126 “failure of duty” allegations against the Queensland police service (QPS) recorded in the year to 30 May. Of those, 26 were investigated by an officer in the same station or work group, while 20 allegations were examined by someone of the same or lesser rank, the inquiry heard.

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Brisbane teenager built spyware used by domestic violence perpetrators across world, police allege

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Jacob Wayne John Keen, 24, is alleged to have created hacking tool when 15 years old and sold it to more than 14,500 people

Police allege that a teenager living in the suburbs of Brisbane created and sold a sophisticated hacking tool used by domestic violence perpetrators and child sex offenders to spy on tens of thousands of people across the globe – and then used the proceeds to buy takeaway food.

Jacob Wayne John Keen, now 24, was 15 years old and living in his mother’s rental when he allegedly created a sophisticated spyware tool known as a remote access trojan (RAT) that allowed users to remotely take control of their victims’ computers.

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Truss vows to outlaw street harassment as Sunak pledges ban on ‘downblousing’

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Tory leadership hopefuls set out plans to tackle violence against women and girls, as Labour’s Stella Creasy welcomes Truss U-turn

Liz Truss has vowed to make street harassment a crime months after a similar move was blocked by Boris Johnson, while Rishi Sunak pledged to outlaw “downblousing” – taking a photo down a woman’s top without consent.

Both Tory leadership candidates set out plans to tackle violence against women and girls, which has been the focus of a longstanding campaign by opposition MPs and feminist activists, especially after the killings of women including Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa and Zara Aleena.

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Queensland police told victim her assault complaint was not ‘valid’ after speaking to perpetrator, inquiry hears

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Commission of inquiry into QPS response to domestic and family violence hears from women who say police did not take them seriously

A victim-survivor was told by a Queensland police officer to focus on being a “good mother” after reporting a “significant assault” by her ex-partner, a commission of inquiry has heard.

The inquiry into Queensland police service’s (QPS) responses to domestic and family violence on Tuesday heard multiple accounts from disillusioned victims who said their complaints had not been taken seriously.

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Woman with disability felt ‘blamed’ after reporting sexual assault to Queensland police, inquiry hears

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Inquiry into QPS responses to domestic violence also hears police failed to assist in instances of elder abuse

A woman with an intellectual disability experienced “extreme mental health concerns” after reporting her sexual assault to Queensland police, who made her feel “blamed” and “judged”, an inquiry has heard.

Social worker Jacelyn Parsons said officers made no additional effort to support the woman or adapt their communication style after she disclosed her disability.

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NT minister says deaths of Indigenous woman and baby should have been ‘all over the news’

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Deaths prompt renewed calls for attention on First Nations domestic violence victims and needs-based funding

The shooting of an Indigenous woman and her infant child should have been “all over the news”, the Northern Territory’s police minister has said, in a push for needs-based domestic violence prevention funding in the region.

The bodies of a 41-year-old man, a 30-year-old woman and a baby were found at an outstation 25km north of Alice Springs on Sunday, prompting renewed calls for more attention on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims of domestic violence.

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Government establishes new measures at airports to stop FMD; 63 Covid deaths – as it happened

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US ambassador arrives in Australia

The new US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, has arrived this morning and told the media she feels “lucky … to serve here and to live here.”

There’s a big agenda and I can’t wait to get started. Personally this means a great deal to me. My my husband is here with me. We first came to Australia on our honeymoon 36 years ago, almost exactly, because three days ago was our anniversary. Then we are were fortunate to come back with our children when we were in Japan. So we met so many wonderful people and I can’t believe that I’m lucky enough to get a chance to serve here and to live here and get to know even more people.

The weather and staff shortages were all worse than expected.

We are doing the best we can – the show will go on rain, hail or shine.

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Rushed consultation for NSW coercive control laws could result in flawed legislation, experts say

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Domestic violence advocates warn drafted laws could be discriminatory if pushed through by government

Domestic violence and legal experts say the New South Wales government’s attempt to push through new coercive control laws before the end of the year could result in flawed legislation that unwittingly discriminates against migrant and First Nations communities.

The state’s attorney general, Mark Speakman, released a draft of the new laws on Wednesday with consultation open for six weeks.

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