The parents of Hannah Clarke, who was killed alongside her three children by her estranged partner, have made a sad announcement.

Domestic violence legislation has been introduced in Queensland parliament after the killings of Hannah Clarke and her three children….

Hannah Clarke’s parents have stepped away from their charity, Small Steps 4 Hannah, due to the emotional toll.

Ms Clarke and her three children, Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3, were killed after her estranged husband Rowan Baxter doused the family car with petrol and set it alight at Camp Hill on February 19 2020.

The 31-year-old Brisbane woman sustained burns to 97 per cent of her body and later died in hospital.

Hannah Clarke was killed by her estranged partner, Rowan Baxter, in February 2020.

Her three children, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey, were also killed in the attack.
Following the deaths of Ms Clarke and her three children, her parents Sue and Lloyd launched a charity – Small Steps 4 Hannah – in an effort to prevent further domestic violence.

The charity was launched in March 2020 to educate and identify signs of coercive control in relationships.

In the six years since the foundation launched, Ms Clarke’s parents have successfully lobbied the Queensland government to criminalise coercive control, dubbed “Hannah’s Law”.

The offence, which includes behaviour used to dominate, intimidate and manipulate a partner, carries a maximum sentence of 14 years behind bars.

The foundation has also helped raise funds for services dedicated to housing and caring for people experiencing and fleeing domestic violence, including Hannah’s Sanctuary.

Parents Sue and Lloyd Clarke are stepping back from their charity Small Steps 4 Hannah. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire
However, Sue and Lloyd Clarke have since decided to take a step back from the charity, citing the immense emotional toll it has taken on their health.

“We hit the ground running and didn’t really stop at the start,” Mr Clarke told 7.30.

“I think that was adrenaline and just anger, (we were) so angry that we didn’t see it coming and just felt that something needed to be done.”

He told the ABC the emotional toll put a serious strain on Sue’s health.

“That took a lot from us,” he said.

“Sue spent nearly once a year in hospital. We need to look after our own health.”

Despite stepping away from their roles as directors, the Clarkes said they would not be stepping away from the charity altogether, instead adopting a “behind the scenes” role.

The charity has been an instrumental figure in the criminalisation of coercive control in Queensland.
With their departures comes the closure of Hannah’s Story – a coercive control awareness workshop adopted by Tasmania Police in September 2024.

Detective Inspector Rebecca Davis told 7.30 that the training course provided “immediate impact”.

Within six months of it being adopted, there was a 35 per cent increase in reports of coercive control, Inspector Davis said

“I can honestly say that the impact, the immediate impact, I haven’t seen it in my 30 years of policing,” she said.

The charity’s coercive control workshop has been adopted by Tasmania Police.
Although Hannah’s Story will wind down in June 2026, Inspector Davis said Tasmania Police would continue to implement the workshop training.

“They’ve given us permission to use Hannah’s Story as a legacy, as the heart of what we do,” she told 7.30.

“Each state, each area, unfortunately has a number of Hannahs.

“There are women, there are children dying every single day across the country. And we want to continue telling their story in whatever shape it takes.”