Breaches of domestic violence orders: The criminal justice process
4 June, 2009
Associate Professor Heather Douglas, Director of Post Graduate Research Programmes
TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland
Scholars and activists have long campaigned for domestic violence to be recognised as criminal offending. Very low rates of criminal prosecution continue to be associated with domestic violence matters; one exception to this is the criminal prosecution of breaches of protection orders. In 2005, there were over 8,000 breaches prosecuted in Queensland. This presentation draws on a study of criminal prosecutions of breaches in Queensland and explores the process of criminal intervention in the context of domestic violence. The research explored in this presentation demonstrates that the process involved in prosecuting a criminal breach often involves a minimisation of the harm inflicted on women by perpetrators, police and magistrates, a ruthless contest about the facts, numerous court appearances before resolution, and inappropriate sentences.
Click here to view Heather Douglas' slides.
