DV report says gaps remain in responses

QUEENSLAND police and service providers are still failing to communicate effectively to reduce domestic violence in spite of direct recommendations from a number of wideranging public reviews, an alarming report has found.

The state’s Auditor-General also accused the government of failing to properly track known perpetrators in the community or collect basic data from rehabilitation programs.

It acknowledged the hundreds of millions of dollars invested by the Palaszczuk government to raise awareness and to assist specialist services.

But the Queensland Audit Office’s report said “significant gaps” remain in how police and support groups work together and co-ordinate their responses.

“Despite all of this, and the fact that every review has recommended more informationsharing and more collaborative efforts, the various government and non-government entities that deal with domestic violence are still not working together as much as they need to,” Auditor-General Brendan Worrall’s scathing assessment concluded.

“The government and nongovernment entities who carry out this work and effort are overloaded and under pressure, which at times has contributed to poor responses and, even tragic, outcomes.”

The report revealed some Queensland areas with the highest rates of domestic and family violence (DFV) did not yet have any high-risk teams providing assistance to monitor the worst known cases.

The Palaszczuk government on Thursday morning committed to accepting the more than 20 recommendations, which focus on improving how police address warning flags, training, an overhaul of case management, rehabilitation, prevention and education.