Qld Mulls Affirmative Consent DV Offence

The Queensland government is considering enforcing affirmative sexual consent and making domestic violence a crime as it reviews women's experiences with the justice system.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says one in five Queensland women have experienced sexual violence since turning 15 and one in four have been exposed to violence from their partners.

The Women's Safety and Justice Task Force, https://anyxxx.com led by retired justice Margaret McMurdo, was appointed on Thursday.

"We know this experience is different for women than it is for men," Ms Palaszczuk told parliament.

"We also know that women and girls are disproportionally affected as victims of sexual assault but it remains one of the most under-reported types of crimes."

The taskforce is already considering criminalising coercive control, which includes isolating partners from friends, dictating where they're allowed to go and controlling their finances.

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said it will also consider making domestic violence a standalone offence and it's open to looking at enforcing affirmative consent.

Affirmative consent requires people involved in sex acts to know what they're agreeing to, express intent to participate and decide to do so freely and voluntarily.

"I do accept that there are some in the sector and survivors that wanted us to go further with a positive consent model, which doesn't operate in very many jurisdictions, and that's something that the task force can absolutely look at," Ms Fentiman told reporters.

The review will see if attitudinal or cultural change is needed within the criminal justice system and if training is needed for first responders like police.

It will also look at any barriers contributing to the low levels of sexual assault reporting given the staggering amount of rapes in the state.

Women's Legal Service Queensland chief executive Angela Lynch said on average 20,000 to 40,000 women are raped every year but only 300 people are convicted.

She said females between the ages of 15 and 19 are most at risk of sexual assault.

Ms Lynch said that statistic is reinforced by hundreds of harrowing stories being told as part of Sydneysider Chanel Contos' online campaign for better consent education in schools.

"Obviously the community is shocked by that but those in the sector, who work in the sector, have known about those statistics and the reality of those things for a long time," she told reporters.

"So now we need action, we need change, we don't need more, 'everything's okay, we've got a great system'.

"It's not working - something has to be done."

Ms Fentiman says recent high-profile rape allegations - one made by Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins and another, against federal Attorney-General Christian Porter - highlight the need for reform.

"All Queensland women, all Australian women I have to say, are pretty frustrated and angry at what's been playing out over the past month and some of the responses that we have seen from our leaders," she told reporters.

"When women come forward they need to be supported and they need to be believed, and anything we can do to break down those barriers in the system so that women are not re traumatised will make things so much better for women here in Queensland."

The taskforce will make its recommendations on criminalising coercive control in October and for reforming the justice system for women in March.