Full Story Introducing Broken Trust: a two-year investigation into the domestic and family violence crisis
Nov 15, 2025
Ben Smee, Queensland correspondent for Guardian Australia, shares insights from his two-year deep dive into domestic violence crises and police culture. He reveals shocking new evidence in the Hannah Clarke case, highlighting systemic police failures that overlooked critical issues. Misogynistic attitudes within the force are discussed, affecting numerous cases. Smee interviews victim families left seeking answers and details whistleblower accounts of pressure to prioritize the police's image over truth. This investigation sheds light on urgent reforms needed in handling domestic violence.
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Domestic Violence As A National Crisis
- Ben Smee frames domestic and family violence as a national crisis with ongoing high fatality rates.
- Statistics show an Australian woman is killed every eight days, underscoring the scale of the problem.
Families Left Without Answers
- Families report police failures left them without full answers about their loved ones' deaths.
- Whistleblowers allege police were urged to protect the force's reputation over transparency.
New Evidence In Hannah Clarke Case
- Ben Smee recounts uncovering new evidence in the Hannah Clarke and children murders after two years of investigation.
- He says police culture and attitudes in Queensland contributed to systemic failures in intimate partner homicide cases.