Queensland to tighten penalties for breaching domestic violence protection orders

Queensland is set to table a bill that adds new offences for anyone who repeatedly defies Police Protection Directions or Domestic Violence Orders, raising the top penalty from three to five years in prison. The legislation also lengthens the validity of a Police Protection Direction from twelve months to three years. An electronic ankle-monitoring program for high-risk domestic-violence offenders will be expanded across the state, with courts mandated to assess the need for a monitor when granting an order.

Police Minister Dan Purdie argues the reforms will ease police burdens and allow faster intervention for victims. Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior welcomed the tougher measures but urged further narrowing of the definition of a domestic-violence victim to focus on intimate-partner cases. Premier David Crisafulli confirmed the government will not change the victim definition at this stage.