‘Lives at risk’ in GPS fail
Parliament told revealed ‘chilling’ flaws
THE failure to fix the GPS tracking system on Gold Coast domestic violence thugs is placing the lives of their partners at risk, State Parliament has been told.
Opposition MP Ros Bates yesterday applauded the Gold Coast Bulletin for its investigation which has exposed faults in the tracking system.
“The Gold Coast Bulletin has been running a chilling investigation into the GPS tracking system in Queensland. As this investigation progressed, every day a new flaw and a new failing in this system coming to light,” Ms Bates said.
The Parliament was told the investigation had revealed:
● Only two Gold Coast perpetrators have been fitted with a GPS device and across the state only 10 tracking devices have been placed on DV offenders despite the police compiling a “long list” of thugs capable of killing their ex-partners.
● Coast police had been monitoring at least a dozen women living in fear because predators had not been tracked. ● But accused criminals ordered to wear GPS ankle trackers while on bail have been walking free for seven days because police cannot get the device on the Coast in time. ● Embattled Police Minister Mark Ryan had maintained trackers were “available whenever and wherever the courts order” yet two magistrates at Gold Coast DV Court were told it would take seven days to get a tracker from Brisbane.
Ms Bates told the Parliament: “We all know the M1 is in traffic gridlock due to Labor’s failure to lay even a metre of tar over the past three-and-a-half years in government, but it doesn’t take seven days to drive the M1.”
The Mudgeeraba MP said she had been contacted by Coast women who were in fear of their lives due to violent expartners not being watched.
“Even after the LNP brought in stricter bail laws following the death of Teresa Bradford we are still seeing dangerous offenders released on bail and without GPS trackers to protect victims,” she said.
“Labor couldn’t even get the roll-out of our tough DV laws right and instead are concentrating on giving additional leave to wife bashers instead.”
Ms Bates accused Labor Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon of “shamelessly championing wife bashers on the Gold Coast” by speaking in favour of leave for alleged attackers.
Ms Scanlon has maintained the leave would ensure financial security for families and enable alleged offenders to seek counselling.
“Maybe the Member for Gaven should meet the families of murdered Gold Coast women as I have,” Mr Bates told Parliament. “Women whose names should never be forgotten such as Kim Cobby, Teresa Bradford, Shelsea Schilling, Melinda Horner, Karina Lock, Tara Brown, Fabiana Palhares, Renae Carter, Anthea Mari and Sherelle Locke.
“GPS tracking systems is a lifeline for scared victims and their families, it is too important for Labor to bungle. There are lives on the line.”