Toughen laws around DVOs and save lives of innocents

IT defies logic that in this country in the 21st Century, with so many advocate groups, so many law changes about the way people have to deal with others, that not one thing has not changed when it comes to dealing with legal matters between the different states of this so-called progressive, modern country.

I refer of course to all things illegal, unsavoury, horrendously violent etc, where apparently someone can have a string of violent physical attacks against former or current partners along with AVOs in one state, which apparently can remain unknown and undiscovered when it comes to crossing a state border.

Why is this? Once a person’s name is attached to any act of violence against another person, whether that person is the attacker or the victim, is male or female, that once that information is put into the computer system, it must be available immediately to any and all law enforcement agencies investigating any incident involving that person.

Maybe, just maybe, had this been the case, then just 90 minutes after having been served with DVO papers, Brock Wall’s expartner Fabiana Palhares along with her 10-week-old unborn child would both be alive.

Instead, a non-descript, despicable, jealous, coward killed Miss Polhares using a tomahawk and then stomped on her stomach to ensure the baby also did not make it.

I was so pleased to hear that at his first Brisbane court appearance, it was reported that this “tough guy” had said “I am sorry”, when asked by Justice Ann Lyons if there was anything further he wanted to say, when representing himself. Not that is makes one skerrick of difference.

It’s also a bit late in the day for Police to say that a National Domestic Violence Database has been set up since the death of Miss Polhares.

This NDV Database is something which should long ago have been in operation. Had it been, Miss Palhares, her unborn baby and many other victims may have been spared.

I know that the police are so often constrained by unworkable legislation which is then administered by magistrates who are too lenient or “shackled”.

This has to stop.

When a DVO is issued, it must actually stand for something and not be just a worthless, toothless piece of paper.

Instead of just having endless discussions about this problem, please let’s see something positive come from the deaths of Miss Palhares and her unborn child. GAEL BEALE, MAUDSLAND