The Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 1989 (the ‘Act’) aims to provide safety and protection for people in domestic relationships who are experiencing domestic and family violence.
The Act defines domestic relationships in the following manner:
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Spousal relationships
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Intimate personal relationships
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Family relationships
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Informal care relationships
Domestic Violence is defined in the Act as:
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Wilful injury such as punching, hitting, slapping or choking;
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Wilful damage such as breaking possessions, punching holes in walls or hurting pets;
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Intimidation or harassment such as stalking, harassing phone calls, threatening an aged person with the withdrawal of care;
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Indecent behaviour such as forcing the other person to engage in unwanted sexual acts; or
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A threat to commit any of the acts mentioned above
The Act provides protection to those people experiencing domestic and family violence by allowing a court to make a domestic violence order. The domestic violence order aims to prevent domestic and family violence from occurring within a domestic relationship by restricting the behaviour of the person committing the abuse (the respondent).
For more information on the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 1989 visit the Department of Communities website at the following link:
http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/violenceprevention/resources/qld_dfv_legislation.html
Note: this information has been adapted either in full or in part from the Queensland Government Department of Communities Legislation – The Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 1989.
