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Queensland’s top cops say they “don’t know what more” Doreen Langham could have done before she was killed in a unit fire alongside her former partner.
Ms Langham and her ex-partner Gary Hely, whom she had taken a domestic violence order out against in early February, died on Monday morning.
On Tuesday, police confirmed they had visited Ms Langham’s Browns Plain townhouse, in a gated community, hours before the fire was lit, and were treating it as a death during police operation.
In addition, it was revealed Hely had breached the temporary protection order multiple times in the weeks leading up to the incident.
On Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said he and Commissioner Katarina Carroll were “so upset” about the incident, and that he would lead a review into the “entire set” of circumstances leading up to the tragedy.
“It’s absolutely imperative for us as an organisation to give confidence to the community that the systems we have in place will protect them when they need to be protected,” Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said.
“It’s going to consider the entire history of police interaction with Doreen and Gary.
“Of course there is a focus on the call that was made on Sunday night, and what happened that night.”
Questions have been raised over why police took three hours to respond to a call from Ms Langham on Sunday night, but Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said he was “certain” the response was “as it should have been based on the information that was available at the time.”
“But the question we have is what other information was available, what other information was in our system and in any other systems across the nation … that may have assisted us to make other decisions that night,” he said.
“We are working to establish an entire timeline, right from where Doreen first intersected with police and how the matter was dealt with from then.”
The review will be overseen by the state’s Crime and Corruption Commission concurrently with a full, independent coronial inquest.
He said more than 105,000 calls relating to domestic and family violence had been made to Queensland Police last year, and that despite efforts to improve communication, another victim had been failed.
“Despite ‘Not Now Not Ever’, despite Tara Brown and Hannah Clarke and her children, here we are again when a person who was a victim of violence has needed protection and we have not been able to help her,” he said.
“We are not satisfied. It’s unacceptable that even one slips through the cracks.
“We have to change this … Everyone has to stand up and say we won’t accept this, we need to do better.”
He said Ms Langham had died despite having moved into a gated community and changing her locks, this was “one of those things that guts us”.
“I don’t know what more Doreen could have done,” he said.
“I hope that when we get through this investigation, if we find something that could have been done different … that we can identify that.
“ … It’s very important we uncover what happened.”
He said it was imperative the community, particularly those who were victims of domestic and family violence, had confidence police would help keep them safe.
“Are we perfect? By no means, but the community has to stand up too,” he said.
“This is happening too much. All of us can do more.”
Police are seeking information about the couple’s relationship, and asking anyone who knew the pair to come forward.
Chief Superintendent Brian Swan said Hely had breached a temporary violence order placed on him by Ms Langham a number of times in the weeks leading up to the tragedy.
He said officers had finalised the examination of the crime scene and handed the home back to the complex’s caretakers.
“We have also returned Mr Hely’s vehicle back to his family. Door knocks have been finalised, and we are processing information and collating CCTV from surrounding areas,” Superintendent Swan said.
“We will continue to put together evidence for the coroner to consider.”
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