DV victim’s details leaked to her abuser

A MOTHER forced into hiding after a police officer allegedly leaked her address to her abusive ex-partner is calling for the law to be changed to protect other victims of domestic violence.

The Queensland woman, who cannot be identified, immediately fled her home in April this year when she discovered the man accused of raping and torturing her had found out where she lived.

“My heart went into my throat and my body went cold,” she said yesterday.

It is believed the man, who is on bail, asked a police officer for the woman’s address despite multiple warnings on the internal police system stating her contact details were not to be revealed to him.

The officer is being investigated by the Ethical Standards Command. Liesl Wharton, spokeswoman for domestic violence support group Red Heart Campaign, said it was hard to believe the incident was an accident. “These are not mistakes, these are not slip ups,” Ms Wharton said.

“Police can see that there is a note on the system that says do not supply this individual’s information to anyone and somehow this has been ignored.”

The woman’s case was only acted upon this week after she wrote to Police Commissioner Ian Stewart as well as Domestic Violence Minister Shannon Fentiman.