Systemic Failures in Domestic Violence Protection
A shocking investigation has revealed that Queensland police had multiple opportunities to intervene before Hannah Clarke and her three children were murdered by her estranged husband Rowan Baxter. According to whistleblower testimony, police failed to document critical evidence of non-lethal strangulation, stalking and suspected child grooming that could have triggered earlier intervention under coercive control laws.
The Tragic Case That Shocked Australia
Hannah Clarke died in February 2020 after being set alight by her former partner Rowan Baxter, who also killed their three children - Trey, Laianah and Aaliyah - in the horrific attack. The case sparked national outrage and led to widespread calls for better domestic violence protections.
Regina Featherstone, a senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre's Whistleblower Project, describes how a whistleblower known as Elsie came forward with devastating allegations about police failings. Elsie claims that police failed to record Hannah Clarke's reports of non-lethal strangulation on their QPrime system, despite this being a criminal offence and a key indicator that victims are seven times more likely to be killed by their partner.
Whistleblower's Courageous Stand
The whistleblower faced significant personal toll and institutional resistance when trying to expose these failings. Elsie approached the Queensland Complaint and Crime Conduct Commission, but her allegations were dismissed as relating to police misconduct rather than corrupt conduct.
Featherstone emphasises the emotional burden carried by whistleblowers: She told me that she has carried this aching heaviness around for years, and her demands for accountability were often dismissed by managers or department heads as her inability to cope with the distressing subject matter.
The investigation also uncovered that police officers involved in the coronial death review had previously been involved in service delivery to Hannah and her children, effectively investigating their own colleagues' actions.
Broken Systems Demand Urgent Reform
This case highlights broader systemic issues in how domestic violence cases are handled. The Guardian Australia's Broken Trust investigation has revealed similar patterns in other tragic cases, including Gail Karran, who sustained 105 blows from her husband after police released him drunk from custody, and Kardell Lomas, who was murdered while six months pregnant despite 24 attempts to seek help.
Featherstone questions why the burden of ensuring institutional integrity falls so heavily on whistleblowers and journalists: The burden of our institutions' integrity and women's safety cannot solely rest on the shoulders of whistleblowers and journalists.
The case has intensified calls for proper implementation of coercive control laws across Australia, which would give police clearer grounds to intervene in domestic violence situations before they escalate to homicide.
