Port Augusta prison officer charged with indecently assaulting three female co-workers

A prison officer has been stood down after he was charged with indecently assaulting three co-workers after a staff Christmas party

A Port Augusta Prison officer has been charged with indecently assaulting three female co-workers after a staff Christmas party.

Craig Norman Campbell, 47, is facing five counts of indecent assault over the alleged incident after a function at The Barracks complex, Port Augusta, on December 15, 2018.

The alleged victims in January 2019 advised Port Augusta Prison managers about the incident but claimed they were told to report the matter to SA Police because it happened off-site.

However, The Advertiser can reveal the alleged victims – all aged in their 20s and no longer working at the prison – did not report the incident to police until July 2020, saying they feared they would not have the Correctional Services Department’s support.

SA Police launched an investigation and Mr Campbell was charged on January 15 this year with five counts of indecent assault.

Correctional Services Department managers were advised on January 18 that Mr Campbell would first appear in Port Augusta Magistrates Court on March 29.

Mr Campbell appeared on that date and was remanded on continuing bail to face court again on May 11. On that date, he was remanded again to appear on June 29.

During that hearing, prosecutors advised the charges would proceed and the matter was adjourned to August 31.

Port Augusta Prison at Stirling North.

It is understood that after the June 29 hearing, the Correctional Services Department initiated the process to formally suspend Campbell on full pay pending the outcome of the matter.

The Advertiser on Tuesday morning made inquiries to the department about Campbell’s employment status. Campbell was formally suspended on Tuesday afternoon.

A Correctional Services Department spokeswoman said the matter had been monitored closely since it became aware of allegations against the officer.

“The staff member was suspended with pay on Tuesday, July 6 and has been directed away from the workplace,’’ the spokeswoman said.

“Matters of suspension are considered on a case-by-case basis in line with the requirements of the Public Sector Act 2009 with a primary focus being an appropriate risk assessment of the individual circumstances.

“Because the matter is before the courts, no further comment will be made at this time.’’

Correctional Services Minister Vincent Tarzia said he had been briefed by department chief executive David Brown about the alleged incident.

One of the alleged victims of the indecent assault said she eventually resigned because of what she described as the lack of response from the prison.

The alleged victim claimed she was harassed by people at the prison about the incident and resigned in May 2020.

“I was scared that we would face a lot of backlash for reporting another officer due to the ‘blue-shirt code’ and that we would not have the support of (the Correctional Services Department) if we did,” the alleged victim said.

“They all just laughed it off because that’s the culture out there.

“I was there a year and a half after it (allegedly) happened, and I just walked out … because I just couldn’t be around (the bullying) anymore. It was disgusting and mentally really affected me.

Police, emergency services and correctional services minister Vincent Tarzia. Picture: Matt Loxton

“I had no faith in (the Correctional Services Department) to handle it and to manage it in a way to keep us safe and they’ve proven that they can’t.”

The alleged victim claimed there was a toxic culture of sexual harassment and bullying within Port Augusta Prison.

Without commenting on the case currently before the courts, one officer said the “number one rule’’ within the prison was not to report other colleagues.

“We work by a ‘blue-shirt code’ they call it. It operates the same as prisoners. With prisoners you cannot rat on one another otherwise you’re a lagger and you’re ostracised,” she said.

“I’ve had multiple occasions where I’ve felt in a day I’ve received 10 times more respect from the prisoners I’m working with than my fellow colleagues.”

The woman said she had developed anxiety and depression since starting work at Port Augusta Prison five years ago.

Multiple other current and former employees have told The Advertiser managers at the prison did not support officers.

“It’s not the prisoners you worry about there, I never had an issue with it. It’s the staff,” a male prison officer said.

The officer said he left prison in August 2020 due to claims of harassment and bullying.

“I had been referred to as a c**t on a couple of occasions … by a manager,” the officer said.

“I got to the point of ‘Why am I putting up with this intolerable behaviour from adults?’.”

Public Service Association general secretary Nev Kitchin said bullying in the public sector was unacceptable.

Public Service Association general secretary Nev Kitchin

Mr Kitchin said 80 staff had left the prison in the past two years.

“There have been staff shortages for some time and we have been advocating for a number of additional staff to be placed into the prison,” he said.

Mr Tarzia said bullying and harassment claims were taken seriously.

“Allegations of inappropriate behaviour, harassment and bullying that do occur in the workplace are treated seriously and investigated in accordance with the department’s guidelines and procedures,” Mr Tarzia said.

South Australia’s anti-corruption watchdog last month released a damning report into the Correctional Services Department, detailing the acceptance of bullying as part of workplace culture in prisons.

The report found almost all managers had witnessed staff being harassed and that a “blue-shirt code”, where new officers were “ostracised” if they don’t conform to “established norms”, existed among prison staff.

The report made 24 recommendations, including amendments to bullying and harassment training, policy changes and removal of outdated documentation.

Mr Brown said at the time that all 24 recommendations had been accepted.