The state’s coercive control laws came into effect in May last year and are designed to ensure victims can report a pattern of behaviour described as controlling and manipulative in current and former intimate partner relationships. This includes financial abuse, tracking, monitoring and humiliation.
Coercive control is not retrospectively applied in Queensland, so only applies to behaviour presented after May 26, 2025.
One of the major challenges with the legislation is proving a persistent pattern of abuse.
CEO of Women’s Legal Service Queensland Nadia Bromley said despite hurdles, victim-survivors should not be deterred from reaching out’ for support.
“Coercive control is harder to prove than other charges because it is about a course of conduct and the legislation, which only came into effect in May, can only be applied to behaviour that happened after that time,” Ms Bromley said.
“Unfortunately, we know that there are women who have been living with decades of abuse.
The Queensland Police Union said while they are supportive of the coercive control legislation, there have not been extra resources invested to assist the service with executing the laws.
Domestic violence frontline services say there have been positive outcomes since the legislation was introduced, as well as some unintended negative consequences.
CEO of the Domestic Violence Action Centre (DVAC) Amie Carrington said there had been a growing number of people reaching out to their service who were later assessed to have been the perpetrator rather than the victim.
Source: Impact of Queensland’s coercive control laws not yet clear one year after implementation – ABC News