DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE CO-RESPONSE TRIAL TO START IN CAIRNS

• The Palaszczuk Government is continuing to deliver on the recommendations of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce and the Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service responses to domestic, family and sexual violence.
• The model provides a mobile co-response to police call outs between QPS and specialist DFV services.
• $22.9 million over four years from 2022-23 has been allocated to trial and evaluate the Co-response Model in a number of locations, starting with Cairns.

A mobile co-response to police call outs between the Queensland Police Service and government funded domestic and family violence specialist services will be trialed in Cairns.

The Co-response Model will adopt a crisis intervention and early intervention approach for call outs to Domestic and Family Violence incidents enabling DFV and specialist services to respond at the same time as the intervention by QPS.

The services will work together to improve Victim-Survivor safety by better identifying and responding to patterns of behaviour over time that constitute domestic and family violence, taking into consideration the relationship as a whole.

Co-response Models have been shown to enhance the safety of people experiencing violence, while increasing accountability for the person using violence. The model will provide an opportunity for earlier intervention to get Victim-Survivors the supports they need to be safe and supports perpetrator’s need to change their behaviour.

Representatives from specialist services have a different skill set and perspective, and are equipped to assess risk, develop a safety plan and identify any support needs.

Specialist workers can also assist police in gathering evidence, improving perpetrator accountability, as well as reducing the risk of misidentification of the person most in need of protection.

Consultation with a range of stakeholders including domestic and family specialist services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specialist services, academics, legal professionals, and relevant government agencies has informed the development of a comprehensive, evidence-based and practice informed Co-response Model.

The Queensland Government is continuing to deliver on the recommendations of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce and the Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service responses to domestic, family and sexual violence. 

A second location will commence in late 2024, informed by the outcomes of the trial in Cairns.

Quotes attributable to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Shannon Fentiman:

“This is another critical step to ensure our justice system appropriately identifies and responds to people using coercive control to abuse their partner, before the introduction of coercive control as a criminal offence later this year.”

 “Co-response initiatives have been shown to improve how police and domestic and family violence specialist services work together, including a better understanding of agency roles and responsibilities.”

“The model aims to reduce the misidentification of the person most in need of protection in the relationship as a whole, which we know happens disproportionately to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and can have significant impacts.”

“Our Government remains committed to eradicating domestic and family violence and we will continue providing resources to frontline services and supporting victims to help them come forward.”

Quotes attributable to the Police Minister, Mark Ryan:

“The co-responder model has proven to be very effective in a number of scenarios previously, including for example when police respond to mental health related incidents.

“The co-responder model has also been used successfully by police and youth justice specialists to actively engage at-risk young people who are at risk of becoming criminal offenders.

“I know that police will welcome this latest implementation of the co-responder model, as domestic and family violence is one of the most prevalent issues police officers deal with on a daily basis.”

Quotes attributable to Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll:

"This is an excellent example of support services partnering with police to improve community safety.

"We see all too often the effects of abusive and controlling relationships on loved ones and the community as a whole.

"This co-response model shows how it takes all of us working together to create safer households and more respectful relationships.

"Police are most often called to these incidents at the point of crisis but this model provides an opportunity for education and support outside of this and aims to increase the safety for victims and prevent future escalations."

ENDS

Media contact – Natarjsha Kramer 0456 436 934