Federal Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has condemned serious police failures in multiple domestic violence homicides in Queensland, calling the revelations 'devastating' and warning that such failures are 'dangerous' and 'undermine our systems'.
Speaking after a Guardian Australia investigation, Plibersek said victims Hannah Clarke and her children, Kardell Lomas and her unborn child, and Gail Karran 'should have been kept safe'. The investigation uncovered evidence of police and support service failures in these cases.
Plibersek highlighted a 'broader cultural problem' where women, particularly Indigenous women, are 'dismissed or blamed when seeking protection from violence'. She stressed that victims must be believed, helped, and supported, and that institutions must fulfil their duties.
Queensland Attorney General Deb Frecklington's office said the state government has implemented reforms including GPS trackers for high-risk offenders and court upgrades. However, advocates warn that new laws allowing police to issue year-long protection orders could compound issues, especially given police failures and data showing frequent misidentification of victims as perpetrators.
A recent Queensland police review suggested domestic violence case management was not considered 'core business' for officers, raising further concerns about systemic shortcomings.
