The time has come to make family violence a criminal offence in order to stem the high rate of domestic-related injuries and death, the Queensland's police union says.
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In an open letter to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk published in March's Queensland Police Union journal, President Ian Leavers said the Not Now Not Ever report - which was handed down last month and discussed ways domestic violence could be better dealt with in Queensland - did not go far enough.
The report was commissioned by former premier Campbell Newman, who asked former Australian Governor-General Dame Quentin Bryce to head a special investigative taskforce.
Among the key recommendations the Palaszczuk Government is now considering were a specialised domestic violence court and a new criminal offence of non-lethal strangulation.
In handing down the report, Dame Quentin said the recommendation came because strangulation was often a precursor to domestic homicide and a clear indication of escalation of violence.
But Mr Leavers said members of the police union, which was not represented on the taskforce, firmly believed the key to combating the problem in Queensland was the creation of a statutory offence of domestic violence.
"The QPU does not understand why the taskforce did not adopt our common sense recommendation to create a statutory offence of committing domestic and family violence, yet oddly recommends creating a new offence for strangulation," he wrote.
"The QPU believes a strangulation offence is already covered by the crimes of common assault and murder ... (and) the creation of such an offence would not address existing issues when commencing criminal prosecutions for violence."
At present, victims of family violence must apply to a court for a domestic violence order, and give evidence before a magistrate.
That can only be done after an act of violence in the home has already occurred.
Mr Leavers said the system effectively gave perpetrators of violence a "free hit".
"There are no consequences for domestic and family abuse (unless the victim wishes to pursue criminal charges and co-operates with police in that regard), he wrote.
"It is only after the "free hit" and then the threat of further violence that the police can take steps to obtain protection orders.
"Clearly this current reality is insufficient.
"The QPU strongly advocates for the creation of an offence of domestic and family violence.
"Such an offence would remove the concept of a free hit by ensuring protection of all persons at all times from domestic and family violence."
Mr Leavers said making domestic violence a criminal offence would also dramatically cut the red tape currently required to apply for a domestic violence order.
"In essence, every single person within the state of Queensland would be protected at all times from domestic and family violence," he said.
The letter to the Premier came after a horror start to the year for domestic-related homicides, not just in Queensland but across Australia.
In February, Bribie Island mother-of-two Adelle Collins, 39, and Gold Coast mother-to-be Fabiana Palhares, 34, were both allegedly brutally murdered by former partners, just six days apart.
Both women had taken out domestic violence orders against their respective exes.
On Monday, father-of-two Bruce Monaghan was stabbed to death on his front lawn, allegedly by the estranged partner of his new girlfriend.
Experts widely agree domestic violence orders largely fail to protect women and others impacted by them.
The Palaszczuk government is expected to formally respond to the Not Now Not Ever report in the coming months.
