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There are growing calls for the Queensland government to crack down harder on youth crime after the death of a British mother-of-two who was killed defending her home from teenage intruders.
Two 17-year-old boys have been charged with Emma Lovell's stabbing murder and her husband Lee's attempted murder in a scuffle that erupted when the couple allegedly found the youths inside their home on Boxing Day night.
Her killing comes 14 months into the state government's youth crime crackdown in which courts must make a presumption against bail for serious, repeat child offenders and have the power to fit them with GPS trackers.
Calls are growing for more punitive measures, including the opposition Liberal National Party's arguing breach of bail should be made a crime again.
A devastated Mr Lovell, who was stabbed in the back in what he called a "terrifying" encounter, has called for a policy change to prevent other families suffering like he and his two daughters are.
"We're not the only family to be affected by this and things need to change," he told A Current Affair on Wednesday night.
A petition to refuse bail to all repeat offenders, regardless of age, who break into homes carrying weapons has garnered more than 30,000 signatures on Thursday morning.
"Get a new law introduced called Emma's Law to mandate judges to incarcerate and no bail on violent home invaders who repeat offend that use or have weapons regardless of age," petition organiser Julie West wrote on Change.com.
Ms West has also called for a protest walk at Wellington Point beach, on Brisbane's southside, on New Year's Eve Day.
The Lovells had reportedly had been in Australia for more than 10 years but were originally from Ipswich in the United Kingdom.
A fundraiser set up for the Lovell family had raised nearly $55,600 of it's $75,000 target by 11.15am on Thursday.
