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Queensland Police Officers Turned Away Indigenous DV Victim Because She Appeared “Argumentative”

The woman was initially refused assistance because of how she “presented”.

qps indigenous dv

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Indigenous domestic violence victims are turned away by Queensland police in what has been described as an “unconscious bias” from officers.

The second week of an inquiry into the handling of family and domestic violence cases by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) has shed light on their preconceptions of First Nations civilians around Cairns.

In one shared anecdote, a woman was turned away because how she “presented” due to addiction issues, which made her appear “argumentative”. It was only after her mother contacted the First Nations and multicultural affairs unit that a domestic violence liaison officer finally reached out to her.

“The reality is there could be some unconscious bias … that needs to be identified,” said Queensland Police’s First Nations and Multicultural Affairs Unit Superintendent Kerry Johnson, also attributing the issue to a lack of cultural training.

The public hearings also examined the state’s surrounding islands, finding that it can take up to six hours for Queensland police to respond to domestic violence around the Torres Strait, as reported by The Guardian.

Additionally, Indigenous women are hesitant to go to police over domestic violence concerns, due to a lack of trust in QPS. “That trauma is still there … and it’s still passed on to the family … Maybe hatred is too strong a word, but it’s just ingrained,” said Johnson.

The Independent Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service responses to domestic and family violence came in response to recommendations in the report ‘Hear her voice‘, which found that systemic change needs to protect, and not further harm, First Nations peoples.

A QPS spokesperson said more would be done moving forward to “tailor approaches to prevent harm, raise awareness of reporting options” to address persistent confidence issues in the police force. “We are committed to strengthening and improving our response to domestic and family violence matters to ensure the service is supporting all victims and holding perpetrators to account.”

The commission’s findings are expected to be finalised through report in October, according to the Australian Associated Press.