The Queensland government promised to put victims first. Instead it buried a report from domestic violence survivors
The Queensland government has buried the findings of its own working group of domestic violence victim-survivors, after their report was heavily critical of police responses and called for a “civilian review mechanism” to escalate complaints about police.
The Liberal National government has repeatedly said it would “put victims at the heart” of the state’s justice policies.
In early 2025, the government convened a panel of people with lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence to identify gaps in the system and guide reforms.
A statement announcing the working group, released by the domestic and family violence prevention minister, Amanda Camm, criticised the former Labor government and said it had “failed to implement recommendations” related to the issue.
The working group concluded its work in December, but a summary report including its recommendations has never been publicly released. Camm’s office refused a Guardian request to release the report this week.
Guardian Australia has seen a copy of the summary report, which noted it was “developed for broader distribution” and to address any concerns related to victim-survivor confidentiality.
Panel members say they cannot speak publicly about the process. One source said on condition of anonymity: “You can say all that you want about being tough on crime and putting victims first, but if it doesn’t come with CCTV footage for the news, then it’s clearly not a government priority.”.
Sources familiar with the process believe the government’s reluctance to release the report and its findings relates to the document’s prominent and strong criticisms of police, including calls for independent oversight.
Since the LNP came to office, the Queensland Police Service has scrapped its specialist domestic and family violence command, and released a reform plan that said domestic and family violence case management was not “core business”. Police have been given additional powers to issue “on the spot” directions that have seriously concerned women’s advocates.
At the same time, the recommendations from several reports that have raised concern about police responses to domestic violence have stalled. These include a long-overdue recommendation to establish a civilian-led police integrity unit to handle complaints.
The leaked report by the victim-survivor working group devotes its first and most detailed section to policing. It said police responses were “inconsistent” and affected by “limited understanding and attitudinal concerns”.
It said policing responses were often dictated by individual officer attitudes rather than “consistent operational approaches”.
“Victim-survivors reported delays in police responses, reporting processes and follow up actions,” it said.
“Some members felt breaches of DVOs were minimised or not treated with the level of seriousness expected.
“An entrenched culture within policing was highlighted as a concern, characterised by inconsistent identification of breaches, and the application of personal judgement, undermining consistent and appropriate responses for victim-survivors.”
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The panel made several recommendations in relation to police responses, including calls for the state to adopt nationally standard risk assessment tools and better victim-centred practices.
It also called for “a civilian review mechanism for escalating concerns about inadequate police responses”.
The report also made wide-ranging recommendations about the need for reforms to child protection, mental health, housing, the legal system, and specialist domestic and family violence services. It called for “efforts to address ongoing experiences of systemic racism”.
Guardian Australia approached Camm on Monday asking why no report or recommendations had been made public, and if the minister would release them.
Her office refused the request and did not provide a written response.
Asked again about the report on Tuesday, Camm did not address questions about why the report had not been released.
She sent a statement that said the government had made a “record high” investment in domestic and family violence prevention and that the government planned to deliver more services, police and affordable housing.
“It is correct to report, following Labor’s decade of decline, the Crisafulli Government has given a voice to victims of domestic and family violence and has prioritised turning around the deteriorating services we inherited from the former government,” Camm said.
“For example, our government has increased DV Connect’s answer rate from 41.9% under Labor to 84%.”
One source familiar with the report said they believed it was “very clear” that the government’s reluctance to release the summary report was because they were “unwilling to act on many of the recommendations”, especially those related to police.
“You can’t be for victims, but only when it suits your agenda,” the source said.
Since the 2024 election, the Crisafulli government has taken a hardline and “victim first” approach to youth crime, including several tranches of legal reforms.
At the same time, critics said the government had done comparatively little to address gender-based violence. Funding for domestic and family violence prevention was cut in the recent state budget, and community sector workers said their services were overburdened and under-resourced.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Exclusive: Report from LNP-convened panel heavily criticises police responses to family violence and calls for civilian oversight. Get our breaking news email , free app or daily…
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The Queensland government has buried the findings of its own working group of domestic violence victim-survivors, after their report was heavily critical of police responses and called for a “civilian review mechanism” to escalate complaints about police.
The Liberal National government has repeatedly said it would “put victims at the heart” of the state’s justice policies.
In early 2025, the government convened a panel of people with lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence to identify gaps in the system and guide reforms.
A statement announcing the working group, released by the domestic and family violence prevention minister, Amanda Camm, criticised the former Labor government and said it had “failed to implement recommendations” related to the issue.
The working group concluded its work in December, but a summary report including its recommendations has never been publicly released. Camm’s office refused a Guardian request to release the report this week.
Guardian Australia has seen a copy of the summary report, which noted it was “developed for broader distribution” and to address any concerns related to victim-survivor confidentiality.
Panel members say they cannot speak publicly about the process. One source said on condition of anonymity: “You can say all that you want about being tough on crime and putting victims first, but if it doesn’t come with CCTV footage for the news, then it’s clearly not a government priority.”.
Sources familiar with the process believe the government’s reluctance to release the report and its findings relates to the document’s prominent and strong criticisms of police, including calls for independent oversight.
Since the LNP came to office, the Queensland Police Service has scrapped its specialist domestic and family violence command, and released a reform plan that said domestic and family violence case management was not “core business”. Police have been given additional powers to issue “on the spot” directions that have seriously concerned women’s advocates.
At the same time, the recommendations from several reports that have raised concern about police responses to domestic violence have stalled. These include a long-overdue recommendation to establish a civilian-led police integrity unit to handle complaints.
The leaked report by the victim-survivor working group devotes its first and most detailed section to policing. It said police responses were “inconsistent” and affected by “limited understanding and attitudinal concerns”.
It said policing responses were often dictated by individual officer attitudes rather than “consistent operational approaches”.
“Victim-survivors reported delays in police responses, reporting processes and follow up actions,” it said.
“Some members felt breaches of DVOs were minimised or not treated with the level of seriousness expected.
“An entrenched culture within policing was highlighted as a concern, characterised by inconsistent identification of breaches, and the application of personal judgement, undermining consistent and appropriate responses for victim-survivors.”
after newsletter promotion
The panel made several recommendations in relation to police responses, including calls for the state to adopt nationally standard risk assessment tools and better victim-centred practices.
It also called for “a civilian review mechanism for escalating concerns about inadequate police responses”.
The report also made wide-ranging recommendations about the need for reforms to child protection, mental health, housing, the legal system, and specialist domestic and family violence services. It called for “efforts to address ongoing experiences of systemic racism”.
Guardian Australia approached Camm on Monday asking why no report or recommendations had been made public, and if the minister would release them.
Her office refused the request and did not provide a written response.
Asked again about the report on Tuesday, Camm did not address questions about why the report had not been released.
She sent a statement that said the government had made a “record high” investment in domestic and family violence prevention and that the government planned to deliver more services, police and affordable housing.
“It is correct to report, following Labor’s decade of decline, the Crisafulli Government has given a voice to victims of domestic and family violence and has prioritised turning around the deteriorating services we inherited from the former government,” Camm said.
“For example, our government has increased DV Connect’s answer rate from 41.9% under Labor to 84%.”
One source familiar with the report said they believed it was “very clear” that the government’s reluctance to release the summary report was because they were “unwilling to act on many of the recommendations”, especially those related to police.
“You can’t be for victims, but only when it suits your agenda,” the source said.
Since the 2024 election, the Crisafulli government has taken a hardline and “victim first” approach to youth crime, including several tranches of legal reforms.
At the same time, critics said the government had done comparatively little to address gender-based violence. Funding for domestic and family violence prevention was cut in the recent state budget, and community sector workers said their services were overburdened and under-resourced.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
The Queensland government has buried the findings of its own working group of domestic violence victim-survivors, after their report was heavily critical of police responses and called for a “civilian review mechanism” to escalate complaints about police.
The Liberal National government has repeatedly said it would “put victims at the heart” of the state’s justice policies.
In early 2025, the government convened a panel of people with lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence to identify gaps in the system and guide reforms.
A statement announcing the working group, released by the domestic and family violence prevention minister, Amanda Camm, criticised the former Labor government and said it had “failed to implement recommendations” related to the issue.
The working group concluded its work in December, but a summary report including its recommendations has never been publicly released. Camm’s office refused a Guardian request to release the report this week.
Guardian Australia has seen a copy of the summary report, which noted it was “developed for broader distribution” and to address any concerns related to victim-survivor confidentiality.
Panel members say they cannot speak publicly about the process. One source said on condition of anonymity: “You can say all that you want about being tough on crime and putting victims first, but if it doesn’t come with CCTV footage for the news, then it’s clearly not a government priority.”.
Sources familiar with the process believe the government’s reluctance to release the report and its findings relates to the document’s prominent and strong criticisms of police, including calls for independent oversight.
Since the LNP came to office, the Queensland Police Service has scrapped its specialist domestic and family violence command, and released a reform plan that said domestic and family violence case management was not “core business”. Police have been given additional powers to issue “on the spot” directions that have seriously concerned women’s advocates.
At the same time, the recommendations from several reports that have raised concern about police responses to domestic violence have stalled. These include a long-overdue recommendation to establish a civilian-led police integrity unit to handle complaints.
The leaked report by the victim-survivor working group devotes its first and most detailed section to policing. It said police responses were “inconsistent” and affected by “limited understanding and attitudinal concerns”.
It said policing responses were often dictated by individual officer attitudes rather than “consistent operational approaches”.
“Victim-survivors reported delays in police responses, reporting processes and follow up actions,” it said.
“Some members felt breaches of DVOs were minimised or not treated with the level of seriousness expected.
“An entrenched culture within policing was highlighted as a concern, characterised by inconsistent identification of breaches, and the application of personal judgement, undermining consistent and appropriate responses for victim-survivors.”
after newsletter promotion
The panel made several recommendations in relation to police responses, including calls for the state to adopt nationally standard risk assessment tools and better victim-centred practices.
It also called for “a civilian review mechanism for escalating concerns about inadequate police responses”.
The report also made wide-ranging recommendations about the need for reforms to child protection, mental health, housing, the legal system, and specialist domestic and family violence services. It called for “efforts to address ongoing experiences of systemic racism”.
Guardian Australia approached Camm on Monday asking why no report or recommendations had been made public, and if the minister would release them.
Her office refused the request and did not provide a written response.
Asked again about the report on Tuesday, Camm did not address questions about why the report had not been released.
She sent a statement that said the government had made a “record high” investment in domestic and family violence prevention and that the government planned to deliver more services, police and affordable housing.
“It is correct to report, following Labor’s decade of decline, the Crisafulli Government has given a voice to victims of domestic and family violence and has prioritised turning around the deteriorating services we inherited from the former government,” Camm said.
“For example, our government has increased DV Connect’s answer rate from 41.9% under Labor to 84%.”
One source familiar with the report said they believed it was “very clear” that the government’s reluctance to release the summary report was because they were “unwilling to act on many of the recommendations”, especially those related to police.
“You can’t be for victims, but only when it suits your agenda,” the source said.
Since the 2024 election, the Crisafulli government has taken a hardline and “victim first” approach to youth crime, including several tranches of legal reforms.
At the same time, critics said the government had done comparatively little to address gender-based violence. Funding for domestic and family violence prevention was cut in the recent state budget, and community sector workers said their services were overburdened and under-resourced.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
- Exclusive: Report from LNP-convened panel heavily criticises police responses to family violence and calls for civilian oversight.
- Get our breaking news email , free app or daily…