Queensland’s contracted service, DV Connect, was found to have let more than 10,000 calls go unanswered between October and December 2024.

The report found a steady decline over an 18-month period.

Calls answered dropped from 87 per cent in May 2023 to just 58 per cent by October 2024.

The figures were worse for the service’s specific women’s line, which went from 89 per cent to 42 per cent in that same time.

Domestic Violence Prevention Minister Amanda Camm said it would be an “absolute tragedy” if those declined calls resulted in any injury or death.

“The service that they received or the lack of service was not good enough,” she said.

“Every victim deserves their call to be answered when they are seeking help.”

DV Connect chief executive Joanne Jessop said the data can tell a story that may not be “entirely accurate”. 

During that 18-month period, calls to the women’s line had been increasing.

But Camm said funding had almost doubled that year.

“That was their worst performing year,” she said.

“So it wasn’t that there wasn’t adequate funding. It wasn’t that there wasn’t adequate resourcing.”

DV Connect was discovered to have imposed a hiring freeze after losing a key contract with 1800 RESPECT, resulting in only about half of the scheduled shifts being staffed.

But the service did not inform the government.

“Maintaining high staffing levels becomes challenging when staff are unwell, and we require personnel to answer the phones,” Jessop stated.

Jessop is now working with the state department on the report’s recommendations.