Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety found last year that police responses often displayed “racism and biased attitudes”.
The result is a larger number of First Nations women listed as perpetrators of domestic violence; and what their advocates say is a failure by police to properly understand their circumstances.
In February, the Queensland government announced a taskforce would be established to consult with domestic violence survivors, service providers, lawyers and the general community about coercive control, which includes tactics such as blocking victims’ access to money and cutting them off from friends and family.
The taskforce is set to report back in October on possible legislative options.
  Chief Superintendent Brian Swan later confirmed that the call was made, saying the incident was being treated as deaths in relation to a police operation . Inquiries indicate that on the night before the fire there was a phone call made to police. Police did attend the unit at least a couple of hours before the fire, he said at the time. Deputy Coroner Jane Bentley is probing the adequacy of the police response to Ms Langham s Triple 0 call the night before the fire.    She is also examining the adequacy of the police response to Ms Langham s complaints about Mr Hely, and will recommend whether any changes to procedures or policies are needed to prevent a similar tragedy.
17:32 EDT, 5 May 2021
Kelly Wilkinson and Brian Johnston on their wedding day. He had been arrested earlier in April
An investigation into the death of a young mother s death has been launched, while the coroner will probe police s actions in the lead up to her alleged murder.
Kelly Wilkinson s badly burnt body was found on April 20 in the backyard of her home in Arundel on the Gold Coast, after neighbours reported hearing screams and the sound of an explosion.
Her estranged husband Brian Earl Johnston, 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a semiconscious state and was later charged with her murder.
Guardian Australia has spoken to three separate researchers who say their attempts to undertake academic studies related to the policing of domestic violence were refused in a manner that implied police practices were already adequate and that research was not needed.
Police and the Queensland government have also resisted calls by the Women’s Legal Service Queensland for a comprehensive audit of underlying officer attitudes.
While police concede there have been systemic failures to protect women, they say publicly that problematic officers and their poor responses are outliers. It’s said that suggesting police have a cultural problem is “offensive”.
Womenâs advocates say knowing there are people accused of domestic violence among police ranks contributes to a reluctance for women to seek assistance.
The Queensland police serviceâs response to revelations about officers accused of domestic violence working on the frontline has previously been to argue that while âno domestic and family violence is acceptableâ, the number is statistically very small among about 12,000 frontline officers.
The police service said last year that âwe recognise that our people are part of the communityâ and, by extension, that domestic violence was a problem in the force as it was in the community.