‘Insidious, Abusive, and Deadly’: Queensland Criminalises Coercive Control

Hannah Clarke’s tragic story has become a rallying cry for action against domestic violence in Australia, leading to the state’s new laws.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 23: Flowers are seen during a vigil to remember murdered mother, Hannah Clarke and her three children at Bill Hewitt Reserve in Camp Hill on February 23, 2020 in Brisbane, Australia. Hannah Clarke, and her children Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3, were killed by Rowan Baxter after he doused them in petrol and set their car alight. Baxter stabbed himself and died shortly after. Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images

“Call the police; he’s going to kill me. He’s poured petrol on me.”

These were Hannah Clarke’s chilling words on the day her ex-partner killed her and their three children in 2020 by dousing them in petrol and setting their car on fire, after enduring years of his abuse.