Queensland Police officer investigated for helping friend track former partner

TEXT messages between a Queensland police officer and his friend reveal how the cop thought it was funny to harass a domestic violence victim. READ THE TEXTS

A Brisbane police officer allegedly passed on address details of a Gold Coast woman to her former husband, a friend of the senior constable. Picture: File

A QUEENSLAND police officer is under investigation for allegedly helping his friend, who was the subject of a domestic violence order, to track down his former partner — and then joking about it.

In stunning allegations lodged with the Crime and Corruption Commission but referred back to the Queensland Police Service’s Ethical Standards Command, the Brisbane police officer allegedly passed on address details of a Gold Coast woman to her former husband, a friend of the senior constable.

The complaint also includes allegations of text messages between the officer and his mate, where they joke about how the woman was likely to “flip out” once she knew she had been tracked down.

The woman, who now has a new partner and three young children, said she was disgusted that a police officer could be involved in such behaviour.

“It is disgraceful that this ­officer has deliberately given out my personal information and jeopardised the safety of myself and my children,” she said.

It is understood the officer had no direct involvement with the case, but allegedly ­accessed police records to find the woman’s latest address.

Justice advocate Renee Eaves, whose information was accessed a staggering 1400 times by police officers over the past eight years, called for a royal commission into allegations of police abusing power.

“For a police officer who is there to serve and protect, to knowingly place that vulnerable woman at more risk is not only unlawful, but says that his moral compass is so far off that he should not be in that position,” Ms Eaves said.

The woman lodged a complaint with the CCC in June after allegedly learning how her ex had managed to find her home address. Text messages, allegedly between the officer involved and his friend, form part of the complaint.

In one message the officer allegedly encourages his mate to tell the woman he knows where she lives. “She will f---ing explode,” he allegedly wrote.

Earlier this month the woman was told the matter was in the hands of the QPS internal affairs unit for investigation.

A police spokesman yesterday confirmed the ESC was “aware of the matter, but it would be inappropriate to comment until it has been further investigated”.

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