A Queensland police officer used a record database to track down the domestic violence shelter his wife and children were staying at after lodging a complaint against him. The man in question is still employed with QPS, and plead guilty to breaching his temporary protection order.
The final days of a public inquiry into Queensland Police Service’s (QPS) handling of domestic violence this week further shed light on the culture and practice of handling victim-survivors — particularly, when those in the force are the perpetrators.
Over the five-week duration, it was revealed that nearly 40 officers or contractors were subject to domestic and family violence orders as of the end of June, reported the ABC.
Another instance shared in the inquiry recalled a second officer charged with both domestic and sexual violence had breached his domestic violence order (DVO) just over half an hour after receiving it.
When reprimanded — with suspension without pay — it was unveiled that he had 17 complaints against him previously, including assault, sexual misconduct, and improper use of government resources,” the Guardian reported.
“We’re a large organisation of 17,000 people,” said Assistant Police Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon.
“It is not something that you can expect we won’t see in our organisation given the size of it. We are normal people doing an extraordinary job.”
“There will be officers who will find themselves in a relationship that breaks down, or where there are allegations of domestic violence unfortunately,” she said. “Could we pick up some of these things earlier? I dare say we should have, and could have.”
The inquiry ended on Tuesday in Mount Isa, with a final report to be handed down to the Palaszczuk Government in October.
In July, female cops at QPS alleged a culture of workplace sexual harassment and misogyny through submissions at the time, while the inquiry also heard officers say that sexual assault victims “deserved” it, and others turn away an Indigenous woman reporting domestic violence because she appeared “argumentative”.
Source – https://junkee.com/queensland-police-domestic-violence-2/338495