An investigation has revealed alarming shortcomings in Queensland’s domestic violence helpline, DV Connect, which failed to answer over 10,000 calls between October and December 2024, prompting calls for a significant overhaul. The helpline’s performance has declined steadily over the past 18 months, with answered call rates plummeting from 87% in May 2023 to just 58% by October 2024. For the specific women’s line, the statistics were even more concerning, dropping from 89% to 42% during the same period.
Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Amanda Camm expressed grave concern over the potential ramifications of these unanswered calls, labelling it an “absolute tragedy” if such failures led to harm or fatalities. She emphasised that victims deserved prompt assistance, stating, “The service that they received or the lack of service was not good enough.”
Joanne Jessop, CEO of DV Connect, noted that the figures may not fully represent the situation, with calls to the women’s line actually increasing during the reviewed period. However, Minister Camm countered that despite nearly doubling its funding that year, DV Connect still faced a significant decline in service quality. Notably, the service also implemented an employment freeze following the loss of a major contract, which resulted in only half of the required staffing being in place.
Camm pointed out that resource availability was not the issue, and addressed the challenge posed by staff illnesses amidst health crises like flu and COVID, which hindered their ability to maintain appropriate staffing levels for phone response.
In response to the findings, DV Connect is collaborating with the state department to address the report’s recommendations, aiming to enhance the service and ensure that every victim receives the necessary support when they reach out for help.
For those in need, support continues to be accessible through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service available at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).