Domestic violence is on the increase, consuming 60 to 70 per cent of police operation time, but working together it can be stopped, Noosa police senior constable Mark Jones told participants at Zonta Club of Noosa’s Walk Against Violence last Sunday.
Snr const Jones, who is officer in charge of domestic violence investigation unit for northern patrol group, domestic violence liaison officer and general duties officer, said as a child he was exposed to domestic violence and the inability of being able to protect his mum probably drove him to do his role.
Passionate about that role Snr const Jones said domestic violence was not just a local issue – it was a global crisis that devastates families and communities.
“Here in Australia, the reality is heartbreaking – every eight days a woman loses her life to domestic violence and every 41 days a man does. These numbers are unacceptable, and together we must demand change,” he said.
In 2023-2024, police in Queensland attended 191,000 domestic violence incidents, about 523 a day, with numbers predicted to increase about eight per cent in 2024-2025 to more than 205,000.
“It’s on the increase. It could be due to population increase, it could be due to victims being more sure they will be listened to and things will be actioned and we are taking things seriously,” he said.
“Please come forward, please report these incidents. You are not alone in this world. We are there to help and we will protect you best we can.
“Queensland Police Service is working to transform how domestic violence is addressed. Our goal is clear: to reduce homicides and ensure that every woman, every family, can feel safe and free from violence in their own home.”
“One of the most significant changes is the introduction of the offence of coercive control, which is present in nearly every domestic violence case. Since the legislation came into effect on 26 May 2025, more than 50 charges have been laid. This is a powerful step forward in holding perpetrators accountable.
“In another change, from 1 January, 2026 victims will be able to provide their statements through electronically recorded interviews. This will spare women the trauma of handwritten statements and allow magistrates to see the full impact of the violence. It is a change designed to protect dignity and strengthen justice.
“Also beginning 1 January, 2026, the Police Protection Direction will be introduced. This measure, similar to an immediate protection order, will last for 12 months. If a perpetrator breaches it, a magistrate can extend the order to five years. This is not a replacement of the current system, but another tool to enhance the safety of women and families.”
Snr const Jones said legislation alone was not enough.
“The Queensland Police cannot eradicate domestic violence without the courage, support, and voices of women across our communities. We need you to report incidents, to support victims and to remind each other that violence is never acceptable,” he said.
“These determined perpetrators will, even when police take action, be committed to commit domestic violence against their partners. It’s the ultimate control when the perpetrator takes their partner’s life. It is their last wish. A lot of them have no remorse. “They even attend the police station and hand themselves in with no remorse for what they’ve done.
We need to stop this. We can stop this. It’s a hard road ahead. Together we can build a society where every woman lives free from fear.”
Zonta Club of Noosa president Tracey Stubbs told participants the walk against violence formed a powerful part of a global campaign begun in 1991 – 16 days of activism against gender based violence.
“These 16 days from 25 November, the International Day for the elimination of violence against women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, remind us that women’s safety is a human right and violence in any form cannot be tolerated,” she said.
“This campaign calls each of us as individuals, as communities and as leaders to raise our voices, challenge harmful attitudes, support survivors and advocate for change and never has this been more vital.
“Rates of violence against women remain unacceptably high in Australia and around the world. In Australia this year 63 women and 24 children died as a result of domestic violence.
“By walking together today we send a clear message, we see the problem, we refuse to be silent and we stand united for a safer future for all women and girls.”
Noosa MP Sandy Bolton told participants while sending a message was one thing, our vital role was in actions – “what we do as women, mothers, daughters, grandmothers”.
“It’s what we teach others. It’s how we speak to one another,” she said.
“We talk about the horrors of those statistics, but it’s the lead in to those statistics we need to understand and acknowledge. It comes in many forms – the violence in our households and to each other, and sometimes it starts as coercive control.”
Ms Bolton urged people to understand and read the signs, and share what they see happening.
“The reality is every day in our community we have women, some of them over 80 years old, who end up in a situation of sleeping rough and sometimes that’s because they finally did leave but are caught in the nightmare of courts, of financial settlements that sometimes take years.
“There’s a role our police, our governments play, but it is up to every single one of us.
“Your circle of influence has an effect.”
