Queensland’s Domestic and Family Violence Death Review and Advisory Board has quietly stopped routinely reviewing new domestic violence deaths for over two years. The board, once critical in analysing deaths and pinpointing system failures, has instead focused on older cases tied to specific themes. This change has raised alarms among experts. Professor Molly Dragiewicz, a domestic violence researcher, resigned this year, stating the board abandoned timely and thorough reviews. She wrote, "I am resigning due to the board’s change in focus away from comprehensive timely review of domestic and family violence deaths ... and publicising those findings to educate the public and professionals about domestic and family violence." Betty Taylor, founder of the Red Rose Foundation and former board member, expressed concern that the board has stopped "centring women’s experiences." She said, "We’ve got to hear survivors voices … we can only do that by doing the most thorough reviews." The board relies on a coronial staff unit that reviews cases and supports coroners. A 2020 review found this unit faced staff shortages, poor wellbeing, and lacked proper databases, still using Excel spreadsheets to track deaths. Sources say conditions worsened since then. Kate Pausina, ex-senior detective and former police liaison to the unit, noted the liaison role was often empty during key domestic violence deaths, including Hannah Clarke, Doreen Langham, and Kelly Wilkinson. She shared an incident where 18 deaths with domestic violence histories were missed during her four-week absence. A whistleblower inside the coroner’s court reported to the Crime and Corruption Commission in 2024 that the coronial system is under-resourced and badly led. They described staff suffering trauma, with one losing hair and another having suicidal thoughts. The coroner’s court said support for trauma is available and confirmed that in the past two years, the board shifted to reviewing themed cases rather than all recent deaths. They claimed some recent cases fitting themes were included. This halt in routine reviews raises serious questions about how Queensland tracks and prevents domestic violence deaths amid evidence of police and system failures. The hope is the board will return soon to its vital work of saving lives through thorough case analysis. If you or someone you know needs help, Australia’s Lifeline is at 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is 1800 737 732.