State parliament hears allegations that senior police union officials re-enacted alleged rape of Brittany Higgins as a ‘black humour joke’

State parliament has heard lurid new allegations of inappropriate behaviour by former chiefs of the police union.

Senior officials at the state’s police union re-enacted the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins in the office kitchen as a “black humour joke”, state parliament has been told.

Independent MLC Frank Pangallo made the new claims under the protection of parliamentary privilege on Wednesday.

He said it was a further example of inappropriate behaviour at the Police Association of South Australia (PASA).

A statement from a former female employee, read by Mr Pangallo, said the union “was – and unfortunately still is” an unsafe workplace for female staff.

Independent MLC Frank Pangallo has aired allegations about PASA in parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards

She said the culture was “toxic” and women were spoken about in a derogatory way.

“Examples include ... having knowledge that, as a black humour ‘joke’, the former president – that is Mr (Mark) Carroll – and assistant secretary, Mr (Steve) Whetton, re-enacted the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins in the kitchen of PASA in front of a female staff member,” Mr Pangallo told parliament.

Brittany Higgins. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

She also said Mr Carroll had been heard saying “you can do anything you want to a woman as long as you give her flowers afterwards”, and, when speaking about a woman who had been raped, saying “clearly, he didn’t buy her flowers afterwards”.

Earlier this month, Mr Pangallo aired a series of allegations from another former staff member, Kim York – including that female admin staff were labelled “old, fat and ugly” and some members suffering PTSD were referred to as “broken biscuits”.

Those allegations – also denied “entirely” by Mr Carroll – were repeated in the statement of the second worker, who said Mr Carroll and Mr Whetton also referred to members suffering mental health issues as “f***in crying psychos”.

Members were also called “weak” and “soft” for contacting PASA in an emotionally-distressed state – and it was remarked “if they can’t hack the job they shouldn’t be in the job”.

In her statement, the woman – who began her role as the union’s executive secretary in August 2021 – said she heard the former president “frequently comment” that he “hates police” and “they are all idiots and wankers”.

SA Police said the allegations were being treated as a complaint and investigated as a conduct inquiry under the Police Complaints and Discipline Act.

Parliament has been told Ms York, the second worker and a third woman lodged complaints in the Fair Work Commission but ultimately discontinued them after they endured intimidation.

Mr Whetton and PASA have been contacted for comment.