New courts, new laws: report offers ways to combat domestic violence in Queensland after abuse surges

The true extent of the scourge of domestic violence in Queensland has been revealed after a new report showed annual incidents had grown by more than 8000 in two years.

The major report, six months in the compiling, showed domestic abuse had grown from 58,000 reported incidents in 2011-12, to more than 66,000 two years later.

At least 17 homicides in the past two years have been linked to domestic violence.

Former Governor General Quentin Bryce said the stories of women raped, beaten and controlled could have come from “war zones”.

“Victims need more help so they can be safe,” she said.

A plan to fight domestic violence was spelled out with 140 recommendations, including law reform.

The government has been urged to make the “offence of strangulation” a new criminal charge, and review the penalties for repeated breaches of Domestic Violence Orders.

A trial of GPS monitoring for high-risk perpetrators was also called for.

The report also found Queensland Police was in need of a “positive cultural chance” and an “independent review of training”.

One recommendation that received support from new Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is the establishment of specialist magistrates focusing specifically on family and domestic violence matters.

“We need to make sure that the government responds across all agencies and not deal with these issues in isolation,” she said.

An official response is due in coming months, and survivors are hoping real change is not far off.