The Queensland government promised to put victims first, but it buried a report from domestic violence survivors

The Queensland government has not released an important report from a group of people who have experienced domestic violence. This group was asked to help improve how the government deals with these issues. However, their report was very critical of the police and suggested a new way for people to complain about police actions.

The government had said it would make sure victims were the main focus of its justice policies. They created a special panel with people who had lived experience of domestic, family, and sexual violence. This panel was supposed to find problems in the system and suggest changes.

The panel finished its work in December, but the government has not shared its recommendations. When asked to release the report, the minister's office refused. The Guardian newspaper has seen a copy of the report, which was intended for wider sharing.

People involved in the panel feel they cannot talk about it publicly. One person said anonymously that promises to be tough on crime and support victims mean little if they are not followed by real action. Some believe the government is hiding the report because it strongly criticises the police and asks for independent checks on their actions.

The report mentioned that police responses to domestic violence were inconsistent and sometimes showed a lack of understanding or negative attitudes. It also noted delays in police responses and that some officers did not treat breaches of protection orders seriously enough. The report suggested that officers' personal judgments sometimes affected how cases were handled, leading to unfair treatment for victims.