QHVSG History.pdf

QHVSG HistoryA Look at our First 20 Years

QHVSG History: A Look at our First 20 YearsIn early 1995 the Townsville Bulletin ran separate articles about two NQfamilies who had experienced homicide. A woman visiting Townsvillenoticed the stories and determined to find these families as she too hadlost a sister to murder in another state. She searched and found thephone numbers and rang the two families. Each family was so relieved totalk to someone who understood and shared their pain and trauma andthe phones ran hot. This simple gesture started the whole ball rolling andhere we are – 20 years later!The following history is a heartfelt tribute to the courageous people inour Support Group, survivors and supporters, who have been touched byhomicide. QHVSG has grown into a symbol of hope and comfort that hasbeen built with love, sorrow, tears, dedication, hard work andperseverance.1995On February 7th 1995 a support meeting was held underneath a home inTownsville. Five families from Cairns, Innisfail and Townsville mettogether for the first time to share their unique tragedies. Each familyhad lost a loved one to murder. One family had lost their child only weeksbefore. Many who told their story that night were sharing their real loss,isolation and heartache for the very first time. The lack of assistance forfamilies was made very clear as each family described the hardships theyhad suffered in the struggle to navigate the justice system, social isolationand financial stress - all while experiencing intense traumatic grief. Thelove, support and acceptance that each experienced on that night readilyconvinced this little band of survivors that something had to be done forothers in our state who had lost a loved one to murder.The Founding members of QHVSG and their loved ones were Moureenand Reg Deakes (daughter Susan); Sherrie and Doug Meyer (son Gabriel);Debbie Chilmaid (son Benjamin), Scherie Johnson (sister Kaelene) andBronwyn Kitching (sister)

Feb 8th – the first QHVSG Committee was formed and the Support Groupwas announced the very next day with media and news in attendance.The place was chaos with TV blaring, reporters, children, assorted dogsand a small group of determined members. QHVSG was off and running.The first Executive members were –• President: Sherrie Meyer• Vice President: Frank Tanti• Secretary: Moureen Deakes• Treasurer: Donna Crowston / Caitlin DeakesThe Committee and members went into action. Each of these families hadbeen building a small list of names of others who were survivinghomicide. Membership began growing immediately all over the statewith some interstate. Some members had already been in touch with theNSW and SA Homicide Victim Support Groups and we called on theseorganisations for their valued guidance.On April 11th the first Townsville public information meeting was held atthe Council Chambers covered by WIN TV. Interest from police, the localMP office and other agencies was growing. QHVSG Area ContactRepresentative named for Townsville was Fawn Westerhuis (brotherGabe)May 7th – the first Cairns public information meeting of QHVSG was heldat the Grove Street CWA and covered by television and local news.Families who had lost loved ones many years before as well as in theprevious few months attended. Hospital staff, counsellors, police and DPPwere there to hear more about our struggles. Peter Muller (wife Lyn) isnamed our Contact Representative for Cairns.June 7th – QHVSG published their first state-wide newsletter – NewsLink.Paper and photocopying was donated by a local Townsville school.June 29th QHVSG is granted a Certificate of Incorporation. We wereworking fast and the momentum was gaining strength. The Committeeand members are funding the whole process at this time with a smallamount of financial help from some market stalls and donations.

July 3rd - First Brisbane Information/Support Meeting was held in theAnn Street Presbyterian Church Hall. More than 150 people attendedalong with TV and newspaper media outlets; service organisations;government agencies including QPS, ODPP. We were supported by acontingent of NSW HVSG including - Grace and Garry Lynch (parents ofAnita Cobby), Pete and Christine Simpson (parents of Ebony Simpson),Martha Jabour and Maya Hessels (son Nigel). QHVSG is honoured tolaunch the NSW HVSG video Living Beyond Murder - which is a glowingtribute to homicide survivors’ strength and determination. As eachperson stood up during our meeting and announced quietly `My child wasmurdered; my wife was murdered; my brother was murdered… and onand on and on – the intensity and gravity of what QHVSG had taken onwas made apparent to the new committee. After this meeting thecommittee knew we had taken a lot on and we were determined to makeit happen – that we would help to break the barrier of isolationexperienced by these families.Our Brisbane volunteers were right onto it and Brisbane QHVSG supportmeetings began monthly. QHVSG was getting their message out acrossthe state.QHVSG Area Contact Representatives:• Brisbane: Eleanor Harper, Stan Deakes, Joan Flack (father Robert)• Sunshine Coast: Marjorie Ward (son Todd)• Gold Coast: Brenda Buisson (son Miles)The first major legislative reform task for QHVSG was submission writingfor proposed Criminal Offence Victims Bill 1995. This task was dauntingfor the fledgling Group but we jumped in with both feet. Discussions,meetings and conferences were attended by many QHVSG volunteersaround the state. Our phones were engaged more often than not duringthat time. We planned our mission and we were methodical inincorporating any and all resources that would assist us in promoting therights of homicide survivors. We were fast gaining recognition and thegovernment, particularly the Department of Justice, was now listeningand inviting us to meetings.

Our committee was also lobbying hard for organisational funding as weknew that the growth of QHVSG was inevitable and we could notpersonally continue to fund it ourselves forever. The founding membersalso strongly adhere to the principal of state-wide representation so thatall Queensland families will be recognised even though the financialburden is increased.In September a QHVSG Banner Blessing isorganised. Our handmade banner with our lovedones photos pinned on was blessed in a touchingceremony of QHVSG members at the St AndrewsChurch in Townsville complete with a bagpiper andmarch.By November the COVA 1995 Bill was beforeparliament and we all held our breath. We knew itwas only the first step in our long fight for victimjustice in Queensland, but we were very proud of our achievements todate.In the very first year of QHVSG – our small band of members hadcommenced the following services in North and South Queensland:• Support: phone, court, newsletter, support meetings, and homevisits• Fundraising: member donations; mall stalls; small one off grants• Education: three major public information meetings and numeroussmall meetings with service agencies and media.• Government lobbying: primarily the Criminal Offence Victims Acts1995 which was passed in November. Families surviving homicide werefinally recognised as victims of crime in Queensland and minorcompensation was now available to them. It was with sadness and regretthat we were not successful in getting retrospective funding for familieswhose loved ones were murdered prior to the 1995 legislation. Thefamilies fighting so hard for this legislation were left out, but that did notstop us from fighting on for our future families.• Networking efforts covered both North and South Queensland. Bythe first year of our Group we were acknowledged by the ODPP; TheAttorney General and DOJ; AIC; The Premiere’s ; Civil Liberties Union;

Opposition leaders; Brisbane Homicide Squad; Minister for Police; QPS;Corrective Services Board; Interstate HVSG groups; Local and state widemedia; Federal and state MPs.Some Interesting facts:• In 1995 Queensland did not have any legislation covering Victims ofCrime while most other states had at least minimal assistance andsupport. There was no assistance whatsoever and families living beyondmurder were not considered victims of crime.• In 1995 The Hon Wayne Goss was Premier of Queensland and HonDean Wells the Attorney General were in office. Royce Miller QC was theDirector of Public Prosecutions.• Queensland became the third state in Australia to form a HomicideVictims Support Group joining NSW and SA.• We did amazing work in our first year which is even more amazing asour group was virtually completely self-funded by our hard workingvoluntary members.• Member Marjorie Ward (mother of Todd) was the first homicidesurvivor to give a verbal victim impact statement in Queensland.1996In January, our first financial recognition from the QueenslandGovernment came in, a one off grant of $7200 with an additional $3000to follow. The committee quickly established a phone/fax systemthroughout the state with one local answering machine to increase ournetworking and support capabilities. Remember – this was before mobilephones and even email were established and our members werescattered from Cairns to Brisbane.A change of government sees Premier, the Hon Rob Borbidge and HonDenver Beanland Attorney General and Minister for Justice in office. Forfledgling QHVSG this means starting campaigning over again but we nowhad recognition and a powerful fighting spirit.QHVSG was honoured to receive an Invitation by QPS to have input onthe Police Service Review.

QHVSG is now established as a reliable information source on the needsof survivors of homicide.April 29th – The Port Arthur Massacre unites all of Australia in the tragedyof mass murder. QHVSG began immediate intra and interstate support ofvictims’ families uniting with SA and NSW HVSG’s. QHVSG was also ableto enlist support from Parents of Murdered Children in the USA.In May QHVSG, many members attended and spoke at Port ArthurMemorial Services held in Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane. QHVSG was aprominent player in public education and information during thecampaign for gun reform legislation.June 1996 – two QHVSG members who had lost loved ones to gunviolence coordinated the FNQ Coalition for Gun Law Reform culminatingin a rally and march in Cairns with 1000 supporters participating. TheTownsville Coalition for Gun Law Reform was also launched and anotherlarge rally and march held. During this month QHVSG also accepted theinvitation by the Minister of Police, Russell Cooper to present oursubmission for the reform of gun legislation at a special meeting.July – our members were speakers at the first state-wide Crime Forumheld in Townsville.August sees the Brisbane Support Meeting turn one year old and so ourNewsLink was produced by our South Queensland members. Their storiesof `life after trial’ were poignant and inspiring.September 1996 –• QHVSG is highlighted with an article in the Queensland Police UnionJournal.• QHVSG asks for membership fees at 10.00 to assist our financialburden. This was a difficult decision for the committee as manymembers were already struggling financially.

December – Our growing organisation was recognised with an invitationto supply and present submissions at the State Crime Summit Queenslandby the Attorney General.The DPP employs the first Homicide Project Officer Miria Bastok inBrisbane as a result of COVA 1995. Miria becomes a wonderful supporterof our members going through the Justice System.In 1996 - Computers with internet capability were only just becomingaffordable with a handful of members having access. In the OctoberNewsLink, the QHVSG President calls out to any members who haveinternet access to get in touch. The President relays in NewsLink `Irealised how beneficial `surfing the net’ could become for our group inthe future’. Look at us today.1997The Anniversary card program is established to acknowledge each QHVSGmember on the anniversary of their loved one’s death with a handwrittencard. This is a `bringing the members together’ strategy to assist familiesto feel supported even if they live rurally or remote. QHVSG is nowsupporting over 70 families state-wide.Court Support has now officially been initiated and provided to families inCairns, Innisfail, Townsville, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast to date. Ourmembers pioneered this service in Queensland and immediatelycommenced lobbying for change to assist future families to experiencefewer traumas during this crucial part of their legal process. The ODPPnow has established a Victim Support Service that will expand services toall victims of crime.The first QHVSG Strategic PlanningConference is held in Cairns in June1997. The 2 day workshop wasfacilitated by dedicated supporterTed Flack who later would becomeTreasurer. Guests included Ministerfor Justice, The Hon DenverBeanland. The meeting resulted in afive year plan for our organisation.

The main aims of QHVSG - Support, Education and Reform were thefocus. The Conference was made possible with a successful GamingMachine Fund Grant.April 1997 - On the anniversary of the Port Arthur Massacre, QHVSG sentout special cards with tea bags attached to `share a cuppa’ on that day.QHVSG strives to find creative ways to unite our members even thoughthere is great distance between us. All Australians mourned this tragedy.Dancing was in the air in October – the first QHVSG Dinner Dance washeld in Brisbane attended by 80 members. In Cairns QHVSG was thenominated charity for the Cairns Ballroom society Springtime DinnerDance. Members provided a presentation for the guests on the evening.These fundraisers brought in over $2000 and were a great boost for ourorganisation.20th November – QHVSG is registered as a Queensland Charity.This year, submissions were presented for Mental Health TribunalReview; Criminal law (Sex Offenders Reporting) Bill 1997, the PolicePowers Review and others.Amendments to COVA 1995 are announced by the Attorney Generalincreasing financial support for families and promising financial assistanceto victim groups including QHVSG. We are quietly confident and hopefulthat our group will be recognised with funding.1998Assistant Commissioner Bob Atkinson who hassupported QHVSG since the first Brisbanemeeting has accepted our offer of Patron ofQHVSG. Thank you Bob – we are very honoured.In March the QHVSG President was appointed bythe Minister of Police as one of two communitymembers on the Queensland Crime Commission.This was another tribute to the high recognitionheld for QHVSG and its members within thegovernment offices.

QHVSG’s first Policy Manual is adopted andinitiated as a working document to assist inthe management of our growing membership.On April 27th our first substantial funding of$125,000 in a Service Agreement with the QldDepartment of Justice is awarded. This willallow QHVSG to expand our services, finallyemploy limited staff and acquire resources toassist with the increasing support, educationand reform demand of our members.Coordinators for North and South Queenslandwere employed.Solace House is procured as the QHVSG state office and respite/courtaccommodation. This little house became our QHVSG home for countlesshours of peer support and solace for families.The official opening of Solace sees the Attorney-General, Matt Foley andthe Shadow Minister for Families, Denver Beanland attend. We haveboth sides of politics invested in and supporting our worthwhile Group.The South Queensland Coordinator, Eleanor Harper works from SolaceHouse with a host of volunteers and part time admin officer. Solacewould become our Group’s main office due to locality.

In North Queensland, a home office wasequipped for the North QueenslandCoordinator, Sherrie Meyer. HavenHouse, a one bedroom unit was alsoprocured for member respite/accommodation and drop in space inCairns.Cairns member Peter Muller accepts a position on the ManagementCommittee becoming the second QHVSG President. Peter remained inthe position until 2004.The 24 hour 1 800 Free Call QHVSG number is implemented. Homicidefamilies can now reach out anytime for support. This puts additionalstrain on staff and volunteers to man the phone around the clock;however we were able to meet the challenge.Submissions were presented on the new Knife Legislation. Our SupportGroup was on board to back the Minister of Police in his legislationproposals with a media blitz by our members throughout the state.QHVSG families who lost loved ones to knife violence bravely committedto the public campaign with verbal and written submissions.March 1998 QHVSG attended the official launch ofthe new Concerned Person Register. For the firsttime, families could gain limited relevantinformation on offender status. Helen Taylor, along time QHVSG supporter is named as the CPRAdvisor. QHVSG lobbied very hard for this service.NewsLink is now reaching out to 256 members andis fully produced at Solace House with ourbeautiful new photocopy machine acquiredthrough a successful Casino Gaming grant.Needless to say the procurement of Government funding was a hugegain, however, the amount of work for the Management Committee andnew staff members increased substantially. Meeting the funding

equirements was essential, and, this on top of maintaining the corebusiness of the support group was a monumental task. We can be proudof QHVSG for sailing through those tricky waters.Even while so much is happening with the governance of QHVSG in 1998,the support, education and work continued. Community education wasprovided to T.A.F.E Justice Studies Program, The Queensland PoliceAcademy in Townsville, Cairns Base Hospital and with Magistrate andSupreme Court staff.QHVSG is now liaising and/or working with the Community OutreachProgram through the DPP. This program is designed to assist Indigenousfamilies in rural and remote areas in dealing with the court process.QHVSG has met with COP workers in NQ to establish a support networkfor Indigenous families surviving homicide particularly in remotecommunities.September welcomed the commencement of our annual MemorialServices held in both North and South Queensland. On this day ourmembers are invited to come together to share our love and memories.Our loved ones are remembered through poems and stories with aspecial candle lighting service and balloon release.1999NewsLink now reaches over 400 members andsupporters.The Everlasting Daisy was adopted as the officialQHVSG emblem. After much ongoing research thisAustralian native was picked as closest to ourinexorable spirit as homicide survivors. Our lovedones are everlasting in our hearts.This year our QHVSG Information Kit is established and is being presentedto each new family we are in touch with. This kit offers QPS and othervictim services on-hand information immediately to families. The kitwhich includes our new brochures is already in demand.

1999 sees fifty four QHVSG members participating in a James CookUniversity research project. This valuable education opportunity was notonly beneficial in its findings for future homicide support services but thethesis research was completed by a young QHVSG homicide survivorgraduating a Psychology degree with Honours.October – Rockhampton is targeted for support services with the numberof families in this region growing fast. With the assistance of Anglicare,staff and volunteers are able to meet for an information session.Directions 2000 – Strategic Planning Weekend Meeting is held at SolaceHouse in December 1999 with Committee, Staff and Volunteersattending. We continue to build our support, education and reforms aimsand goals into the year 2000.Also this year, the QHVSG Peer Support model travels to Japan. Peer andcourt support including interpreting services are provided in Cairns to aJapanese family after their beloved daughter was murdered there as avisiting student. The family is now bringing the peer support concept totheir own homeland by starting the first homicide support group – and sothe love and support from our QHVSG grows around the world.A translated excerpt of a letter from the family:`We had meetings in Kanazawa, Nagoya and Tokyo. We talked about ourexperience and having kind support from QHVSG and Australia. Yumitalked about the many support groups, the activities and friendships. Weshowed the QHVSG support kit from Cairns Australia. The audience werepsychologists, psych students, police, counsellors, lawyers and homicidevictims. They listened and took great attention in our talking’… ToshieOkuyamaTo close the year - QHVSG enters a trial program with FNQ AssistantPolice Commissioner. Police Detectives will be handing QHVSGInformation Packets with funeral compensation notification to eachfamily who experiences a homicide in the Far North including the Cape.The trial was carried out with a view to establishing this servicethroughout Queensland.

2000In 2000 a review was undertaken by Margaret Hughes commissioned bythe then Department of Families, which in consultation with the QHVSGManagement Committee, provided guidelines that have become thecornerstone in the development of our organisation. The Hughes Reportoffered QHVSG a modern approach to governance and managementwhilst addressing issues of access and equity. The principles ofinclusiveness, empowerment, communication, flexibility and continuousreview of services remain today. Staff, committee and members wereinterviewed around Queensland and contributed much valuedinformation to assist the direction of our organisation.June marked the tragic Childers backpacker fire that killed 14 youngpeople. Our staff and volunteers travelled to the area to provide supportand practical assistance to families and friends affected by this tragedy.This support would prove ongoing and extended tointernational families involved.In 2000 QHVSG provided court and ongoing support toseveral American families whose loved ones werekilled in two separate high profile cases in Queensland.In one of these cases, QHVSG supported personnel ofthe US Navy and we received a heartfeltcommendation for this effort.In November our QHVSG Patron Mr Bob Atkinson became the newQueensland Police Commissioner. Well done Bob! You have been a truefriend to all families surviving homicide in Queensland since 1995.QHVSG Detective Training Programcommenced. Our brave members areproviding valuable information on the traumaexperienced by families after homicide. Thispartnership with the QPS will proveinvaluable for families in the future as QPS isbetter equipped to address the immediateand ongoing needs of traumatised victims.Once again our members rise above theirown sorrow and grief to help other families in the future.

2001The first QHVSG Volunteer Support Training was held in Brisbane andthen Cairns bringing our fully trained volunteer force to 22 state-wide.Member attendees travelled from far and near to take part in this QHVSGPilot Training Program. As a result of the training a new QHVSG VolunteerNewsletter is commenced in an effort to showcase our talented anddedicated QHVSG volunteer force.QHVSG establishes a Professional Advisory Panel to assist with business,ethical and legal issues arising for the Group. This is one of therecommendations of the Hughes Report and the Panel has been atremendous asset in the management of our growing Support Group.QHVSG was also successful in procuring a new 3 year service agreementwith Department of Communities. The recurrent funding now allows for astate-wide Coordinator, two field workers and a part-time administrationofficer. This will allow QHVSG to finalise some of the Hughes Reportrecommendations for staffing to meet our membership needs.This year after some difficult legal findings by the Mental Health Tribunal,QHVSG families began fighting even harder for necessary changes.QHVSG has stood behind our families with strong representation torelevant government bodies and nation-wide media concerning theappalling way families surviving homicide are dealt with. This is QHVSG atits best – families supporting families in whatever way they can.QHVSG is now taking on tertiary level students seeking placementexperience. The students gain extensive knowledge from our uniqueorganisation and also provide us with valuable support for ourmembership and practical assistance in the office. Recognition for QHVSGcontinues to grow.World tragedy September 11 terror bombings in the USA saw QHVSGscramble to meet the needs of Qld families whose loved ones wereinvolved. Once again QHVSG rises to the immediate task and providessupport for families and information provision for communities.

2002Strategic Planning Weekend held at Solace House with committee, staffand members participating in a new five year plan guiding the progress ofQHVSG. Aims: Support, Education and Reform. One initiative of theStrategic Plan was to form smaller sub-committees to more closelyexamine and implement changes and explore positive options to coincidewith our Group’s growth.QHVSG Human ResourceManual is completed andadopted by the ManagementCommittee.The first QHVSG website isunder construction as ourorganisation moves on to theWorld Wide Web.QHVSG was invited to a reception on the American USS Blue Ridge NavalShip. Our American friends officially recognised the support provided byour Group to their personnel after the loss of an officer in 1998. Theinternational comradeship is ongoing.QHVSG Founding member Bronwen Kitching passes away. Bronwen wasan inspiration to our Group from its inception and will be sadly missed.The OPPP and Court Reporting Bureau have granted members access totrial transcripts through QHVSG via email. Transcripts may be printedfree at the local MP office. This is a verbal arrangement only that QHVSGwould endeavour to enshrine in rights for our families in future.This year our computers are equipped with ACT database purchased andimplemented in our north and south Queensland offices. This onlineequipment has allowed a major improvement in managing confidentialrecords and storing member information. With this capability, staff willalso be able to analyse data and statistics for research to include inreports and submissions. The database connects north and south officeswith each other enhancing information sharing.

May 2002 - we attend the Victims of Crime Conference. QHVSG provideda presentation on `Exploring our Peer Support Model’. QHVSG is taking alead role in victim peer support and this information is becoming soughtout and well received. QHVSG also presented a Homicide Educationmodule to volunteer workers in the Victims of Crime AssociationQueensland in Townsville that month.October saw the devastating Bali Bombing in Indonesia and QHVSG roseto the call supporting families and friends of victims through thisdistressing time.The Mental Health Act 2000 sees better services provided to familiessurviving homicide. Our members have worked tirelessly and, slowly butsurely, legislative change is occurring. The Mental Health Court nowreplaces the old Tribunal with improved services for families. AnEthiopian proverb used in NewsLink: `When spider webs unite – they cantie up a lion’. So true!In April this year every QHVSG Support Meeting around the State wasdevoted to `reform discussions’ including a survey. The response wasstrong and the results are to be collated and a plan for future QHVSGReform work to be instituted. The resounding result indicates thathomicide compensation needs to be reviewed. QHVSG financialcompensation remains the lowest in Australia.• $4000 – funeral• $2000- ancillary (crime scene clean up and counselling)• $30000 – divided among minor children.QHVSG listens to our membership and begins a blitz on relevantgovernment agencies for review of this inadequate compensation forfamilies.2003The Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard provides his support with apersonal message to QHVSG to be used at our AGM.

Fax-Back System – a joint initiative between QHVSG and the QPS is nowup and running. This assists our Staff to connect with families soon afterthe homicide of their loved ones. We can now be available more readilyfor families to help with immediate needs such as crime scene clean up,etc. This system will hopefully target any families that may have beenoverlooked for support in the past.QHVSG now has 5 full and part-time staff and has grown into arecognised professional organisation that supports families afterhomicide at the state, national and international level.Our QHVSG volunteer force has grown and now includes rostered courtand phone support as well as a variety of other duties. Our wonderfulvolunteers remain the backbone of this organisation.QHVSG continues its professional alliance with the Mental Health ReviewTribunal presenting a joint paper with the MH Victim Support Coordinatorat the MHRT 2nd Annual Members Conference.The QHVSG staff and volunteers also provided a presentation on ourGroup and surviving homicide to the Metro South Detective Conference.This was well received and great acknowledgement to our Group. Ourorganisational aim of education is actively encouraging change for victimrights.QHVSG’s Truth-In-Sentencing petition has travelled the entire state andnow has 7000 signatures.By the end of 2003 – QHVSG is supporting over 700 families living afterhomicide.2004 –3rd April QHVSG holds our first SupportMeeting in Rockhampton at theRockhampton Police Complex with 20members attending. Monthly support

meetings are to be continued by the local volunteer members.By 2004 QHVSG has established regular monthly support meetings inBrisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Sunshine Coast, Darling Downs and the GoldCoast.Solace House continues to serve our organisation well. In one small housemuch vital work is completed including QHVSG administration, staffoffices and accommodation for families going through court or needingrespite. Solace also offers a welcome `drop in’ space for members andvisitors to share a cuppa and have a chat. It is a house full of love, tearsand often laughter.As years go by, QHVSG continues to mature. Our core business of peersupport after homicide continues with ever increasing demand. Ourorganisation is also experiencing not only the increased needs of families,but also a call to meet community needs after homicide. We are the leadQueensland agency in supporting people who have experienced thehomicide of a loved one. We now are contacted for information andexpertise by councils, schools, businesses, other government and NGOagencies, etc.2005April – QHVSG goes to Logan for thefirst support meeting to be heldthere. Support meetings are nowbeing held in Cairns, Townsville,Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast,Brisbane, Logan, Darling Downs, andthe Gold Coast. Congratulations toour members and supporters whodedicated their time and assistanceto keep this valuable means of support going!Our QHVSG Support Group turns ten! The ten year commemoration sawa poignant inaugural QHVSG Awareness Day held in King George Squareon the 20th May 2005. The theme of the day `Take a moment to walk inour shoes’ and 1500 pairs of shoes were joined side by side in the Square

as a visual display in memory of our lost loved ones. The day includedsupporting agencies, guest speakers, bands and most importantly peerssupporting each other. The emotional evening ended as members litcandles under 70 empty chairs to signify the number of victims alreadylost this year and the average expected by the end of the year.Awareness Day has now become an important annual event for QHVSG topromote public education of homicide and its significance in ourcommunity.NewsLink, now available in a booklet formator via email, reaches over 800 families andsupporters.QHVSG now assists the Department of ChildSafety. CSO’s (Child Safety Officers) train atSolace House for one day out of their eight days training. This providesvaluable insight into community organisations and also our SupportGroup. Members in FNQ celebrated Child ProtectionWeek 2005 with a large display that highlighted ourQHVSG quilts. We are very happy to be able to assistin a productive and positive way to advance theprotection and safety of all Queensland children.In 2005 `Ride to Live’ Homicide Awareness Family isheld in Logan. The fun event features motorbikes,cars and trucks riding in convoy for QHVSG.Parole legislation changes enables homicide survivors to makesubmissions to the Parole Board when a prisoner comes up for parole. Formembers, this is a welcome addition to our ability to have a voice in theparole process.Our first QHVSG website is unveiled with our Patron Bob Atkinsonproviding a special Foreword: “In a perfect world there would be noneed for the Queensland Homicide Victims’ Support Group”Highlights of 2005 Legislative Reform: This year our members and staffparticipated in the following:

• Representation on the COVA 1995 review VISION Network with theDepartment of the Attorney General• Participation in Premiere Peter Beatty’s Anti- Violence Summit• Collation of Truth In Sentencing Petition• Participation in the National Volunteer Week Events in King GeorgePark Square• Memorial Services in North and South Queensland• 10th Anniversary Awareness Day• Detective Training Chelmer• Brisbane City Lord Mayor’s Christmas Charity markets.• Cairns Show Fruit and Veg Auction annual QHVSG fundraiser• Truth- In -Sentencing petition signature collections• Numerous state-wide raffles and garage salesEvent highlights of 2005 were spurred on by our wonderful QHVSGVolunteers whose dedication to homicide awareness and fundraising isessential to meet the growing needs of our Group!

The Journey of 1000 Miles – The View from theHalf Way PointQHVSG History from 2005 to 2015.It has been said that the journey of 1000 miles starts with the first step.You have seen the gusto and courage displayed by the founding membersof the group when embarking on this journey, and the incredibleachievements attained in the group’s first decade, from 1995 to 2005.One cannot help but to draw the analogy of pushing a snowball down asnowy slope and watching it gather momentum.As outlined, every year QHVSG ‘picked up speed’, as the group grewexponentially in a number of ways. Every year there was an increase in -members, NewsLink recipients, corporate and government contacts, highlevel bipartisan political recognition, and resources.Looking back on the first decade of existence of this organisation, onecannot help but to recite the oft-spoken words of those of us who arenow over fifty – “Life was so much simpler back then”! From the humblebeginnings of members self-funding the organisation’s activities, andstruggling to organise such basic needs as telephones and fax machines,QHVSG has come a long way to ‘survive’ its first decade, when manyother similar well-intentioned groups fell by the wayside when faced withsimilar barriers.The one common thread running throughout the organisation’s historyover the two decades is that it has been built on a strong foundation ofcaring and respect for one another, and that it has been led by asuccession of Chief Executive Officers (now titled General Managers) andManagement Committee members (now titled Board members), all ofwhom have brought a wide variety of skills and experience to the table inorder to help our members.QHVSG’s StructureIt is interesting to note that the ‘hard yards’ done early in the group’sexistence have basically set the scene for the group’s structure and how

the group would approach the next decade and beyond. As QHVSG nowstands, the General Manager is employed on a part-time basis, with theSenior Family Co-Ordinator employed on a full time basis, supported byfour part-time Family Support Co-Ordinators in Brisbane and Cairns andone part time Admin Officer. With the group’s Finance Officer alsoworking part time from the Brisbane-based Solace House, together with ahost of dedicated volunteers, there’s always a welcoming voice at theother end of the phone, or a warm greeting if you drop in.However, whilst larger, today’s organisational structure is not thatdifferent to the structure put in place when QHVSG went from being agroup of volunteers funding their own operation, to receiving limitedgovernment funding and being able to first employ people to conduct theorganisation’s business back in April 1998. But, in an example of ‘beingcareful what you wish for’, with increased government funding over thelast decade came increased accountability measures and governancebeing required in order to justify the tax payers’ funds provided to thegroup. The ‘pros and cons’ of becoming more successful will be discussedlater in this work.An ‘outsider’s view of OPCKLooking back over the last 20 years of QHVSG’s existence, one cannothelp but to be humbled. For an ‘outsider’ to look in, I am sure QHVSGwould present as an eclectic collection of diverse people from all over thestate and beyond, of all ages, from diverse backgrounds and cultures,from varied social settings, all of whom ‘seem normal enough’ but whohave all experienced and come through one of society’s most brutalevents – homicide. It is the viewpoint of the ‘outsider’ that helps todemonstrate how and why QHVSG has set about many of the efforts thatthe organisation has undertaken in the last decade.To the ‘outsider’ each member would be seen to be at a differing point ontheir journey, with each member taking that onerous journey at theirown pace and in their own time. The ‘outsider’ would most likely look atour members and wonder about their story, yet be too afraid to ask forfear of upsetting them.

Our members are the human faces behind the tabloid stories and newsbreaks interrupting the ‘outsider’s’ evening viewing with anannouncement that yet another atrocity has been committed. Ourmembers are the humans behind the story. They are the family andfriends left behind after what may have been little more than anewspaper headline to the ‘outsider’, or a segment on the televisionnews so long ago. The ‘outsider’ may struggle to have even heard of ourmember’s loss, or may have lived vicariously through every ‘Tweet’, liveTV news cross or magazine article ever written about our member’s case.Many of our members report of the relief they feel through peer support– through discussing ‘life after homicide’ with the only people who reallyknow – fellow QHVSG members. Some members also report that it’s the‘outsider’s awkwardness’ of not knowing what to say that can sometimesmake the feeling of isolation even worse. Having lost a loved one throughhomicide, many members not only feel that loss, but a further sense ofloss when they find themselves thrown into the criminal justice systemwhere it often appears that their feelings and wishes are either ignored,trivialised or not taken into account.One aspect of law reform that QHVSG has fought hard for in the lastdecade, and that has now come to fruition, is the issue of Victim ImpactStatements. The same ‘outsider’s’ view helps to demonstrate QHVSG’spoint here. When a person is convicted of Manslaughter, there is a widerange of penalties that a judge can impose however, when a convictionfor murder is attained, there is only one penalty able to be handed down– Life Imprisonment. So, when the sentencing answer is already known,it has appeared for a long time that the judiciary have seemed to trivialiseand disregard a Victim Impact Statement, possibly for the reason that,when there is only one sentence to give, what the family of a victim mightsay or feel is somewhat irrelevant.Nothing could be further from the truth!In recent years one tremendous change to the judicial system that hasbeen achieved by QHVSG is to place due importance upon the VictimImpact Statement in sentencing situations. As previously mentioned,1995 saw the first Victim Impact Statement read to a sentencing

proceedings for murder. Through years of lobbying and pressuringsuccessive governments, a Victim Impact Statement is now considered anessential part of the sentencing process for murder and manslaughtercases.One Punch Can Kill(OPCK)As the group presently stands at its 20 thanniversary the One Punch Can Kill(OPCK) campaign features large as thegroup’s main homicide preventionstrategy. The group is indebted toprevious CEO, Ms Jonty Bush, and MrPaul Stanley, who were at the forefrontof the creation of the campaign, bothof whom suffered great personal tragedy in what have come to now beknown as ‘One Punch’ deaths. Ms Bush was employed with QHVSG in2003 and accepted the role of CEO four years later in 2007.The campaign has been a dynamic entity, taking on many shapes andforms over the last decade. It is somewhat ironic that QHVSG has had to‘fight’ to keep its ‘anti violence campaign’ on a number of occasions,against some unexpected and unusual ‘opponents’. More on that later.Concentrating on the successful aspects of thecampaign over the last decade, Queensland andmany states have now enshrined in legislation newcriminal law provisions relating to deaths that ariseout of acts of violence that often constitute no morethan one blow struck in anger. The criminal justice system has struggledwith the legal definitions and concepts associated with causing a death byone blow. Is it a ‘murder’? Is it a case of ‘manslaughter’? If you didn’t‘intend’ to kill the person with that one blow, but the person diednonetheless, should you be held criminally responsible for the death, orjust a lesser matter of throwing one punch? If the person died as a resultof hitting his or her head after the punch, can you legally say the punchcaused the death?

As many of our members can attest from their first-hand experience overthe years, the ‘legal minefield’ has existed for many years and has beenlittered with inconsistency and heartbreak along the way. After years oflobbying for legislative change, QHVSG has been successful with theintroduction of a criminal offence in Queensland called, ‘Unlawful strikingcausing death’. This offence holds a maximum penalty of LifeImprisonment and attempts to circumvent many of the previouslyoutlined scenarios that have seen acts of violence causing death receivestaggeringly different penalties.It is another quirk in QHVSG’s make-up that, whilst the OPCK campaignhas gained momentum over the years to now hopefully be on thedoorstep of becoming QHVSG’s truly national anti-violence campaign, asQHVSG’s funding arrangements go, we are not funded to conduct thecampaign. The whole anti violence ‘vehicle’ is an actual ‘sideline’ to thecore business of the organisation – the peer support of our members.Funding and work on OPCK matters is conducted separately to thefunding we receive from the government and, as such, our efforts havebeen facilitated through an entirely separate grant. As the 20 thanniversary occurs, QHVSG has lodged a Business Case with thegovernment to seek funding for the campaign to expand and employseparate staff to drive the campaign further.‘Fighting’ for ‘anti violence’As alluded to before, it is an unusualoccasion when an organisation dedicatedto anti violence finds itself ‘fighting’ for itscampaign with others. One such ‘fight’originated, most ironically, from thequarters least expected – the QueenslandPolice Service!As you have seen, the former Commissioner, Mr Bob Atkinson, and thecurrent Commissioner, Mr Ian Stewart (Our Patron), have been strongand committed in their support of QHVSG and have proudly assisted us inmany of our endeavours. One recent manifestation of this is Mr

Stewart’s offer to host the QHVSG’s 20 th anniversaryfunction in Police Headquarters. However, throughwhat was more akin to a ‘misunderstanding’ than a‘fight’, some frank discussions needed to occurbetween QHVSG and the QPS following somefunding announcements made by the QPS in theBudget Highlight documents in in the 2010 – 2011State Budget.In announcements made by the then Police Minister, The Hon MrRoberts, it was announced that the QPS would be spending $0.7 million‘to extend the One Punch Can Kill campaign to reduce assault amongyoung people’. It rapidly became apparent that the QPS intended to takethe OPCK campaign in whatever direction it chose in furtherance ofassault reduction, but had not realised that the campaign, and moreimportantly the slogan, ‘One Punch Can Kill’ actually belonged to QHVSGand that our organisation was not going to ‘hand over’ something thatQHVSG had worked on for many years.This is the first of twosignificant occasions wherethe strategic thought of ourprevious CEO, Jonty Bush,placed the organisation inan excellent position byhaving taken out the trademark on the slogan ‘One Punch Can Kill’.When the ownership of the campaign was spelt out to the QPS MediaUnit, a strong sense of cooperation and teamwork saw the two groupsmove forward using innovative campaign identifies such as theatreadvertising, ‘bus back’ advertisements and television commercials.A further occasion where QHVSG needed to assert its ownership over theOPCK brand occurred in January 2014. Whilst QHVSG’s ownership of theOPCK trademark may come as a surprise to many, it appears it actuallycame as a rude shock to one Australian sporting identity. Giving thebenefit of the doubt to the personality that his intentions werehonourable, television advertisements were launched in a number of

states warning that ‘one punch can kill’, ironically leveraging off theviolent nature of the sportsman’s chosen field of sporting expertise.Although not knowing that the sportsman was commencing his campaign,QHVSG was delighted that such a high profile sporting personalityseemed to be ‘singing from the same hymn book’ as QHVSG. The groupcontacted him and sought to unite our efforts in using the OPCK nameand trademark to prevent violence. To say that the group wasdisappointed in his response is an understatement. Upon being advisedthat we wanted to work together in spreading the message againstalcohol-fuelled violence, particularly given that he was using thetrademarked slogan of OPCK, the sporting entity’s only response was toremove the words ‘One Punch Can Kill’ from the script of his commercial,replacing it with, “One Punch Can Be Lethal”, and to then place greateremphasis upon his own name, and head off in his own direction.Whilst wanting to give the ‘Green’ light for the use of the OPCKtrademark and to work collaboratively, it became apparent that thesporting personality had no similar intentions, leading the group tosuspect that advertisement was more of an advertisement for himself,than for the cause of violence prevention. Some say that there is no suchthing as bad publicity, and it is acknowledged that the high profilesportsman’s initial social media ads are still on YouTube using the OPCKslogan. Like any aspect of the OPCK campaign, if it helps to prevent justone act of senseless violence then it has been worth it, and QHVSG iscertainly not going to quibble over that.A small example of a big commitmentThe magnitude of QHVSG’s commitment to its members over such a longperiod is demonstrated in just one smallaspect of the organisation’s activities – that of24 hour Peer Support. In 1998 QHVSG set upthe 24 hour a day phone support line, with a1800 number that members anywhere inQueensland can call for assistance at any timeof the day or night. This phone line is stillstaffed by our volunteer members and/or staff

- someone who has personally experienced the grief that homicide bringsto a family and is now there to assist someone else in their time of need.QHVSG has had members available to perform this duty, on a 24/7rotational shift roster basis, for every single day and night for the last 17years! The level of commitment demonstrated in just this one smallaspect of QHVSG’s operation speaks volumes about its staff, volunteers,members and their selfless dedication to members in need.“The Great Attempted Coup of 2009”If it were not for the fact that it cost QHVSG somuch in lost effort, time and money, the storycolloquially called ‘The Great Coup Attempt of2009’ could actually be reflected upon with adegree of amusement. Alas, that might takeanother 5 years yet! One of the main learningsthat arose from this incident was that QHVSGneeded to modernise its rules and to develop asuit of appropriate policies to deal with issueswhen they arise. There will often be disagreements and or differences ofopinion at Board meetings and there is an argument that this is in facthealthy for an organisation.However, the saga that ensued after the 2008 Annual General Meetingeffectively caused the organisation to achieve considerably less than itcould have, if so much time and effort were not spent on ‘fighting for theorganisation’s existence’.In order to remove personal biases from the recanting of this story, ‘asource of truth’ will be relied upon and quoted, more than the author’smemory. The Office of Fair Trading had to become involved and resolvewhat had effectively been a ‘takeover bid’ and, in doing so, they handeddown their decision in writing in a letter dated 6 February 2009 from theDirector-General of the Department of Justice and Attorney Generaladdressed to all relevant parties, including the President of QHVSG, theCommissioner of the Queensland Police Service, the person heading the‘takeover bid’. Dates and exact details have been obtained therefrom.

At the Annual General Meeting on 6 th December 2008 all ManagementCommittee positions and that of the Secretary were declared vacant inorder to facilitate the election of the new Committee. The organisationhad done this on a yearly basis on many occasions so it was little morethan the course of normal business for QHVSG. After a contestedelection for the position of Secretary the members elected a lady, whomfor convenience sake we will call ‘Betty’. With the AGM occurring inDecember many people were already in holiday mode and had notnecessarily attended the meeting, but voted by proxy.With the incumbent member returned as President, a short while laterthe President sent a congratulatory email to all elected members and‘Betty’, the new Secretary, and it was right from this very firstcommunication that things started to go downhill. In the first few daysafter the election the new Secretary berated all newly electedManagement Committee members over the email system, and terselyadmonished the President, for inappropriate communications channels.She decreed that all communication between the President and theCommittee must be sent out by her, as the ‘official Secretary’. Thissituation deteriorated further and ‘Betty’ was advised that theManagement Committee was taking steps to remove her from theposition and had denied her application for Associate Membership.‘Betty’ had lodged an appeal against these decisions and they were set tobe heard at a Special General Meeting.In hindsight, the Committee was left somewhat amazed at thehappenings over the next three months.The Management Committee had referred to the Rules of theorganisation in making such a decision. We are obliged to abide by theseRules in the conduct of the organisation’s business, under the auspices ofthe regulatory body, the Office of Fair Trading. And one learning herewas that it is rare that people study the Rules and know their exactcontents, until something arises and the need presents itself to refer tothem. The Rules stipulate how many persons, of what membershipstatus, are needed to form things like a meeting quorum, who can beelected to what position, how persons can be removed from office etc.

The next main event was the startled phone call received from thegroup’s CEO from Solace House. The CEO had ‘Betty’ and a number ofher ‘followers’ barge into Solace House en masse, having brought withthem armed police, requesting them to assist ‘the new ManagementCommittee’ to evict all persons and change the locks so that they couldtake possession of the premises!‘Betty’ and a number of her followers had obtained copies of the QHVSGentries in the official register at the Office of Fair Trading to use toconvince the police to assist them. Believe it or not, the Register hadbeen changed so that the President, Treasurer and Secretary of QHVSGwere now herself and two of her friends! These documents were shownby ‘Betty’ to the local police and they were requested to assist herbecause ‘they were expecting trouble’.So the police attended Solace House and luckily they soon realised that‘something was rotten in Denmark’!I suspect the people at the Office of Fair Trading still tell this story at theirChristmas party each year, as I am sure they wouldn’t see this sort ofhappenings too often (nor would they want to!) The subsequentinquiries revealed that ‘Betty’, had taken it upon herself to call a SpecialGeneral Meeting to be held on 5 January 2009 at a private housesomewhere on the northside of Brisbane. To comply with the Rules,‘Betty’ took out a poorly worded Public Notice (that OFT later advised didnot comply with the Rules and was invalid) which the generalmembership were never informed of. It is now apparent that ‘Betty’ thentook Minutes at this clandestine Meeting where all present (which werelater found not to constitute a quorum anyway) voted unanimously toremove the President, Treasurer and all Committee members who hadbeen elected at the AGM a month before.After this all appropriate documentation was submitted to OFT whoamended the Register to show an entire change in the ManagementCommittee at QHVSG. For the payment fee of obtaining an extract fromthe now modified Register, ‘Betty’ now had some official lookingdocumentation to enlist the aid of the police with.

After a stalemate existed for a number of hours, and a large number ofhurried phone calls were made to legal representatives, ‘the rebel tour’retreated, defeated. Unfortunately it still took many months before thewhole saga was over, as other side issues emanated from the eventswhich further side-tracked the organisation’s efforts to maintaincontinuity of service to its members.Never before has such a strong emphasis been placed on the Rules of thisorganisation, and their interpretation. The group went from what wasnormally a friendly collective of like-minded persons all trying to assistour members, to fighting for the actual survival of the group against whatthe corporate world would most likely call a ‘hostile takeover’!The Political EnvironmentThe history as outlined for the first ten years of the organisation shows adedicated band of people working feverishly to support fellow victims ofhomicide throughout the state and beyond. This same attitude hasremained a constant throughout the group’s second decadeIn the second decade of theorganisation’s existence, thatsame giraffe has grown to reachits full height and take its rightfulplace in its environment. It hasbecome recognised by all others‘in the jungle’ but its environment(both internal and external) canbe harsh on occasions and there are still many threats to be faced anddifficulties to overcome. These dangers can range in seriousness from afunding shortage through to organisational extinction, somewhat at theapparent political whim of the incumbent government of the day.And, all the way along, it has been the role of the ManagementCommittee (or Board as it is now called) to make sure that suchdifficulties and concerns never impact upon the service delivery ofsupport to our members. Successive Chief Executive Officers (nowreferred to as General Managers) have strived to ensure that service

delivery to our members remains unaffected by the daily ‘behind thescenes’ difficulties faced in an organisation that is growing exponentiallyat a rate that is out-stripping the growth in organisational funding.Over the last decade leading up to the organisation’s 20 th anniversary,QHVSG has taken its place at the table of stakeholders and etched foritself an important position as both a strong advocate for victims’ rights,and a credible, respected not-for-profit organisation providing a valuableservice ‘between the gaps’ of a number of other government agencies.At a time when competition for the public charity dollar is strong, andgovernments are ‘rationalising’ the number and type of not-for-profitorganisations that they will continue to fund, through masterfulleadership by successive General Managers, QHVSG has remained a-political, advocating for the rights of victims of homicide no matter whatpolitical party holds government. The organisation’s ability to avoid‘putting all our eggs in one basket’ has earned us respect in the eyes ofsuccessive governments and enabled continuity of delivery of ourservices, no matter what political party comes to power.Yet to many of our members, such matters seem irrelevant and of littleconsequence, when they themselves are struggling to simply carry ontheir daily lives after the ravages of having lost a loved one to homicide.The organisation has received concerns from some members over theyears that we spend a lot of time and effort on high-level issues, lobbyingthe government on this issue, or making a point in the media on thatissue, when some perceptions exist that such matters take theorganisation away from its ‘grass roots function’ of assisting themembers.This perception can exist because many of the more strategic campaignsand efforts that QHVSG undertakes can involve lengthy periods of time tocome to fruition. Some excellent examples already discussed are the‘Double Jeopardy’ issue, the reading of Victim Impact Statements atsentencing procedures and the enactment of ‘One Punch’ legislation.Each and every one of these things make common sense to QHVSG andits members, however the logistics of changing the legislation of thewhole state can be described as happening at glacial speed. It has

literally taken years of advocacy and lobbying of successive governmentsand committees in order to gain traction for change to occur.In the harsh reality that exists in the arena of being a not-for-profitorganisation that competes for its funding with many other worthwhilecharities, QHVSG addresses the reality that, to be funded, we need todemonstrate in black and white the results that the Government willachieve should it decide to ‘invest’ in funding our organisation. In anorganisation that demonstrates such caring, compassion andconsideration for its members, QHVSG also needs to demonstrate to theGovernment that it possesses other traits such as political acumen, astrong governance framework and the commitment to be in it for thelong haul.QHVSG has stood the test of time, largely by being adaptable to itschanging environment. The organisation seamlessly integrates theprovision of high level, intense peer support and assistance for itsmembers, with the harsher reality of having to maintain a high level ofaccountability for its activities and spending, ever mindful that it is onlymade possible through the use of tax-payers’ funds. Going hand in handwith such high level of accountability is the need to maintain a robustgovernance framework to ensure Government confidence in theorganisation. It was pleasing to see that, in a recent assessment byVictims Assist Queensland (our funding body) of Government-funded notfor-profitorganisations, QHVSG’s governance framework was lauded as a‘best practice’ model for others to follow.The historical lesson should be remembered that, while QHVSG was stillin its infancy, there was another not-for-profit organisation funded tocater for the needs of victims of crime in Queensland. Those aware oftheir history will recall that, in a comparatively short period of time, thisorganisation was ‘wound up’ by the Office of Fair Trading amidallegations of excessive spending on lavish company vehicles withexpensive personalised number plates, strong divisions within itsmembership and allegations of financial mis-management. That group’sfailure to demonstrate its ability to act responsibly with tax payers’ fundsultimately saw the whole group fold.

So, whilst successive Boards and staff members over the years havedesigned and implemented policies and procedures that may seem tomany to be overly bureaucratic and to ‘distract’ us from our core functionof providing services to our members, (such as policies including; aconflict of interest policy, privacy policy, confidentiality policy, acomplaints framework and many others), it is a fact of life that, in today’sperformance-based world, without such structures in place the chancesof attracting and receiving any government funding are greatly reduced.Put simply, the government has been ‘burned’ before by funding wellmeaninggroups and individuals whose intentions exceed their ability todeliver consistently on the promised service to be provided.The Board over the years has often wished for a rich, philanthropic,public-minded benefactor to walk through the doors of Solace House,throw open his or her wallet and offer to fund our entire operation foryears to come. Unfortunately such an event has yet to occur in our first20 years of existence (but we are ever hopeful!). In a similar way to KerryPacker providing millions of dollars to deck out every ambulance inVictoria with a defibrillator after his life was saved by an ambulance crewwho had such equipment, QHVSG is ever hopeful that a similar fairy-talewill befall our organisation. In the absence of the arrival of QHVSG’s own‘fairy God Mother’ who would absolve us of the need for bureaucraticcompliance and accountability measures, we still need to maintain ourrobust governance systems.A proud achievement by Jonty Bush – Young Australian of the Year 2009Jonty Bush was one of the CEOs ofour organisation from 2007 to2009, having worked as a FieldWorker from 2003 onwards priorto that.With her tireless efforts to supportmembers, and her passion to makea better world for families who hadlost a loved one to homicide, Jonty’s leadership of QHVSG saw the groupreceive a great deal of publicity across Australia when she was awarded

‘Young Australian of the Year’ in 2009. As a very deserving recipient ofsuch an honour, Jonty set about to further the plight of victims ofhomicide on a nation-wide basis.Since leaving QHVSG Jonty has now taken up a position with VictimsAssist Queensland who, ironically, are now the government funding bodywith whom QHVSG has its service agreement.We also have to thank both Doug Nothdurft (son Tyson) and RossThompson (son Michael) for the changes that they achieved to theJuvenile Justice Act as a result of one of Queensland’s most heinouscrimes “The Toowoomba Triple Murders of 2005” which involved 3teenage perpetrators, 2 aged 16 and 1 aged 17 of which 1 of the juveniles(Brian Woodman) was the first to be named in Queensland because ofthe crime being so heinous.This set in play a long journey for both to change the laws and was finallypassed through Parliament in 2009 and the changes where.Key amendments in the Juvenile Justice Act:• Specify the courts’ powers to place curfews on juvenile offenders toreduce the chances of them re-offending and to ensure they are properlysupervised;• Widen court powers in relation to naming juvenile offenders,allowing orders to be issued, allowing publication of identifyinginformation if the court considers it to be in the interests of justice to doso;• Increase the minimum mandatory detention period for young peopleconvicted of multiple murders from 15 years to 20 years’ imprisonment;• Give police stronger powers to arrest and take to court young peoplewho:- Do not comply with conferencing requirements- Contravene an agreement- Fail to attend a drug assessment and education session;• Require courts to consider setting a date for the transfer of offendersfrom youth detention to adult prison when sentencing young offenders tobe detained beyond the age of 18;• Automatically prohibit the publication of information whichidentifies a child victim (amendment to the Child Protection Act 1999);• Contribute to reducing remand levels by:

- Requiring courts to consider the likely sentence when making baildecisions- Clarifying that, if a young person is remanded in detention because of athreat of harm to their safety, the threat must arise from thecircumstances of the alleged offence (such as threat of retribution from avictim or a co-accused);• Update the name of the Juvenile Justice Act 1992 to the YouthJustice Act 1992; and• Make minor amendments to improve the workability of the relevantActs.Which also resulted in the new Naming and Shaming laws for thoughhabitual Juvenile offenders that have no respect for the Law or Courts ofthe land?The big moveIn endeavouring to obtain premises for the fledgling QHVSG to operatefrom in the first decade, it has been outlined that the group rented ahouse at Albion, aptly named ‘Solace House’. Whilst it never featured on‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ it was a beautiful old Queensland thatexuded relaxation and ‘solace’, making it the perfect initial HQ forQHVSG.However, with every growing ‘family’, we were a victim of our ownsuccess and outgrew the house and all it had to offer, so the search wason for new premises. Most were sad to see us move out of the oldQueenslander that had served us so well for so long. After inspectingnumerous premises, Board members found the current premises for rentin the suburb of Clayfield and the move was on. Commissioner Atkinson

attended a relaxed opening ceremony to officially open ‘the new SolaceHouse’ in 2012. With its spacious separate living area underneath it isvery well suited for accommodating family members travelling toBrisbane for Court, or office storage of equipment and resources, whilethe upper level is fitted out as the QHVSG office.ConclusionThis document merely touches the surface of some of the events andhappenings in the 20 year history of QHVSG. As with life, some of theevents are happy memories, some are painful, but the majority of themare living examples of how great achievements often start with humblepeople forming together as a dedicated collective for the good of allconcerned.Let this history conclude with positive hopes for the future of the group,and a quote from Deputy Commissioner Barnett of the Queensland PoliceService. At the 2012 Annual General meeting of QHVSG he commentedto the gathering of members that,QHVSG is a group with the highest ever price for membership”As QHVSG looks towards the next 20 years of its existence, it is importantthat we remain focussed on our members and never forget that they arethe reason we all dedicate our time and efforts in furtherance of thegroup

PO Box 292Lutwyche Queensland 4030Telephone 07 3857 4744Fax 07 3857 4766admin@qhvsg.org.auPublished 28th August 2015