What constitutes domestic violence?
Domestic violence is any of the following acts:-
- Wilful injury;
- Wilful damage to another person’s property;
- Coercing a person to engage in sexual activity;
- Depriving a person of that person’s liberty
- Threatening a person with the death or injury of the person, a child of a person, or someone else;
- Threating to commit suicide or self-harm so as to torment, intimidate or frighten the person to whom the behaviour is directed;
- Causing or threatening to cause the death of, or injury to an animal, whether or not the animal belongs to the person to whom the behaviour is directed, as as to control, dominate or coerce the person;
- Unauthorised surveillance of a person;
- Intimidating or harassing behaviour towards another person;
- Indecent behaviour towards another person without consent;
- Financial control; or
- A threat to commit any of the above.
What protections are available to those who are victims of domestic Violence
Domestic relationships in Queensland are protected by the Domestic Violence Act. A domestic relationship is a family relationship (such as mother and daughter, siblings, aunties etc), intimate personal relationship (former couples ), informal care relationship; and Married and defacto relationships.
Victims of Domestic Violence can apply to the court for a Domestic Violence Order with varying terms from no contact provisions to Orders that parties be of “good behaviour”.
The breach of a Domestic Violence Order is a criminal offence.
Victims of Domestic Violence should contact the Queensland Police or the Domestic Violence Resource Service for further assistance.
