SA Police officer seeks compensation, claims she was sexually harassed by ‘boys’ club’ of lewd male colleagues

EXCLUSIVE: A police officer claims she endured physical and verbal sexual harassment at the hands of SA Police’s “boys’ club” — but the department says she was having an extramarital affair.

A POLICE officer was subjected to physical and verbal sexual harassment while working in the “boys’ club” of SA Police, a court has heard.

The officer has told the Industrial Court that her male colleagues grabbed her, ranked her attractiveness and drew genitalia inside her hat.

She has further accused them of sending her lewd SMS text messages, including one about a “gluten-free penis”, while she was working.

SA Police has denied the claims, saying the boys’ club reference is a “red herring” from a woman who was not harassed but having extramarital sex in a car with another officer.

In an unusual twist, the case has come to light because police opposed a suppression order on the officer’s name, saying it would “amount to a denial of open justice”.

The officer, referred to in court documents as “A”, has filed action with the SA Employment Tribunal.

She has asked SA Police be ordered to pay her weekly compensation and also reimburse her medical expenses.

In a judgment published this week, Deputy President Mark Calligeros said the officer began her policing career in April 2009, leaving the job in April last year.

“She and her witness have referred to SA Police as ‘a boys’ club’,” he said.

He said she claimed to have suffered “a mental injury described variously as anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder” as a result of her male colleagues.

“The conduct is of a personal and embarrassing nature,” he said.

“It includes comments about her physique, having her leg grabbed when she was cleaning out a cage and having the straps on her vest grabbed as part of an attempt to lift her up.

“(It also includes) a system or ranking the attractiveness of female officers and having male genitalia drawn on the inside of her police cap.

“(She claims she) received sexually suggestive text messages ... concerning a ‘gluten free penis’.”

Mr Calligeros said the officer wanted SA Police to disclose all 2013-2015 reports from its Grenfell St station and patrols, and Hindley St station and Tactical Team, prior to trial.

She also asked her name be suppressed, or that she only be referred to under a pseudonym.

“She is studying law at university ... it is likely that the reporting of the case would enable her to be identified to future colleagues in the event she obtained or sought employment,” he said.

“It may also publicise her complaint within SA Police, which would impact upon her in the event that she was to return to SA Police.”

He said SA Police had opposed both suppression and the provision of the documentation.

“SA Police’s case is the officer was engaged in an extramarital affair, at the police barracks after work, which involved intercourse and oral sex in her car,” he said.

“It also points to dramatic change in attitude towards women over time ... one such witness says some 65 per cent of SA Police executives are female.

“All of its witnesses deny that SA Police is a ‘boys’ club’ ... it is submitted that the ‘boys’ club’ issue was a red herring.

“It added that (suppression) of her identity would amount to a denial of open justice.”

Mr Calligeros refused the suppression application, but ordered the officer be known as “A” until the issue could be properly resolved at trial.

He further ordered SA Police produce some of the documents sought by the officer, and adjourned the matter until its trial next month.