A group of leading domestic and family violence awareness campaigners has developed a resource kit to help get their message to the media and out into the community.
Community Services Minister Karen Struthers today launched ‘Dying to be heard: media reporting on domestic violence’ in Brisbane.
“The media has an important role to play in the prevention of domestic and family violence. This kit is designed to help them deliver the message that domestic violence is a crime and should not be tolerated,” Ms Struthers said.
“Over the past five years there have been up to 60 domestic violence-related deaths in Queensland.
“Those statistics are shocking and we’ve simply got to turn them around. We need to bring domestic violence out from behind closed doors and deal with it,” Ms Struthers said.
The media resource kit, produced by Betty Taylor for the Queensland Domestic Violence Death Review Action Group and with funding from WESNET, contains practical information for media professionals.
It follows the recent launch of ‘For our Sons and Daughters: A Queensland Government Strategy to reduce domestic and family violence’.
“It’s a ground-breaking strategy and the first whole of government response to domestic and family violence in Queensland,” she said.
“It includes the new Death Review Panel - a team of experts who will investigate all domestic violence-related deaths in Queensland over the past five years. We want to find out not only how they died, but why.
“We also want to find out what more could have been done to prevent the death and identify any gaps in services for victims. Then, we will be able to tackle the real underlying causes of domestic and family violence,” Ms Struthers said.
Minister Struthers said the government would also conduct a review of the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act so that it truly reflects the needs of women and children today.
Media Inquiries: Minister’s Office 3235 4286
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