Australia news live: bombshell allegations in Barilaro inquiry; AMA lashes government for ‘mixed messages’ on Covid risk

Public hearings to begin in inquiry into Queensland police’s handling of domestic and family violence

The commission of inquiry into Queensland police’s handling of domestic violence will hold its first week of public hearings today, with current and retired officers called to provide evidence.

The first week of hearings in Brisbane will examine officer training and the police’s capacity to respond to domestic violence incidents. It will also investigate the operation of the vulnerable persons unit and cultural issues within the state’s police force.

Subsequent hearings held in regional Queensland will invite experts, legal representatives, support workers and First Nations and regional officers to provide evidence.

The commission of inquiry was recommended by the state’s women’s safety and justice taskforce, which found “widespread cultural issues” affecting police responses to domestic and family violence.

Guardian Australia has written extensively about police failures related to domestic and sexual abuse victims in Queensland.

Queensland correspondent Ben Smee wrote a series of stories this month detailing concerns by former and current female officers after being sent several unpublished submissions to the inquiry.

In one submission a former officer said police chose not to pursue credible domestic violence allegations against a serving officer, after dismissing his wife as having “mental health issues”.

A Queensland police whistleblower claimed in another submission that detectives did not properly investigate the deaths of at least four First Nations women who had previously been subject to repeated violence by their partners.

Officers also spoke of widespread misogynistic behaviour, sexist comments and sexual harassment by male colleagues.