Queensland's Police Commissioner has apologised for comments made by a senior officer labelled "victim-blaming" by domestic and family violence survivor advocates, after it was confirmed a Brisbane mother and her three kids .
Detective Inspector Mark Thompson has also been asked to step aside from the murder investigation into the deaths of Hannah Clarke and her kids, Commissioner Katarina Carroll said on Friday, after he questioned whether the children's father could have been "driven too far".
Ms Clarke, 31, previously referred to by police as Hannah Baxter, and her children - Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four and Trey Baxter, three - died after they were doused in petrol and set alight in Camp Hill, in Brisbane's east, on Wednesday morning.
Rowan Baxter, 42, was also declared dead at the scene from self-inflicted injuries, police said.
During a press conference on Thursday, Inspector Thompson attracted criticism from anti-domestic violence advocates, who accused Queensland Police of suggesting Ms Clarke could have been partially responsible for her death.
Hannah Clarke, Rowan Baxter and their three children Laianah, Aaliyah and Trey. Source: Facebook
"We need to look at every piece of information," Inspector Thompson said.
"Is this an issue of a woman suffering significant domestic violence and her and her children perishing at the hands of her husband or is this an instance of a husband being driven too far by issues he's suffered by certain circumstances into committing acts of this form?"
Inspector Thompson clarified his comments later in the conference, however, stating there was "no excuse" for domestic and family violence.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll speaks to the media. Source: AAP
"What I was trying to illustrate by my comments was that you do see, in public commentary and in general responses in the community that people will make those allegations," he said.
Speaking to ABC Radio on Friday morning, Commissioner Carroll said the Inspector was "gutted" about the way he phrased his statement and said she was "sincerely sorry to the community and victims for the way it was put".
"I apologise for what was said and how it was said – the phraseology was completely wrong and the words and the way it was said should not have been used," she said.
Anti-domestic and family violence campaigner Tarang Chawla, whose in 2015, said on Thursday: "a broken family law system does not kill women and their children".
"Don't abdicate the responsibility of the men responsible for these crimes," he said.
Speaking about the attack for the first time on Friday, domestic violence survivor Rosie Batty slammed some of the commentary "from people in authority and the media".
Ms Batty's 11-year-old son, Luke, was murdered in 2014 by her former partner who she had an Apprehended Violence Order against.
"No one is 'driven' to murder no matter the circumstances or situation that they find themselves in," she said.
"Murder is a decision that is deliberate and driven by the need to exact revenge and achieve the ultimate act of power and control."
A broken Family Law system does not kill women and their children. Don’t abdicate the responsibility of the men responsible for these crimes. That is all. #NotOneMoreNiki #HannahBaxter — Tarang Chawla (@tarang_chawla) February 19, 2020
Labor MP Kate Thwaites also weighed in on the comments, stating there were "no sides in this".
"There is a woman and three children murdered by someone they should have been able to trust. It's vital police recognise this," she said.
Ms Clarke is the eighth-woman killed by violence in Australia this year, according to the . In 2019, the number was 61, equating to more than one murder per week.
Our Watch chief executive Patty Kinnersly said violence against women was a "national emergency".
"On average, a woman dies violently every week in Australia, usually at the hands of someone she knows. Most of these murders take place in the home and are often the final brutal act after a long history of violence," she told SBS News on Thursday.
"Yet the murders are just the tip of the iceberg. For every woman murdered, hundreds of thousands are living with violence and abuse."
She also , or trivialised violence, "by focusing on the perpetrator being a ‘good bloke’ or a ‘sporting hero'".
"Good blokes don’t murder their families and we know from the research that mental health issues or alcohol may exacerbate violence, but it does not drive it – gender inequality does," she said.
Queensland Police has been contacted for further comment.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit . In an emergency, call 000.
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