New female recruits separated into women-only training sessions, told they are ‘fresh meat’

In more shocking revelations for Queensland Police, new recruits are being separated into women-only training sessions to be warned about what they can expect from their male counterparts.

Female recruits have been separated into women-only training sessions and warned they are “fresh meat” and to expect to be hit on by men when they join stations, in another startling revelation to rock the Queensland Police Service.

The Courier-Mail has been told senior female officers have made the warning to female recruits, who are singled out from men for training sessions just before they are sworn in to be police officers.

In one session this year the senior officers told the recruits they were adults and could have relationships with who they chose but, because of intense working environment in which they could form close relationships, they should expect to be hit on by men.

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Queensland Police graduation. Picture: File image

Recruits in the meeting were told they would be deemed “fresh meat”, according to at least one person familiar with the session which later discussed the searching of female prisoners.

They were also not told how to report sexual harassment in the workplace, The Courier-Mail has been told.

The sessions were held at the same time the service was under intense scrutiny in the Commission of Inquiry into the Queensland Police Service responses to domestic and family violence.

The inquiry has been told there is a culture of misogyny and sexism in the service and many male police officers had not been properly disciplined for creepy and frightening sexual behaviour towards young female colleagues.

It has been told of an officer threatening rape, multiple cases of unwanted touching an officer and another who threatened to punch a superior in the “c--t”.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll before giving evidence at the inquiry last week. Picture: John Gass

Commissioner Katarina Carroll last week gave emotional evidence to the inquiry saying she had herself been subject to a sexual assault and harassment multiple times in the 80s and 90s early in her career.

The inquiry also heard a dossier compiled by women police in 2017 and 2018 about their lived experiences included one who said she had been raped and also knew of five other women who had been attacked the same way.

The woman said she had been called a “slut” and “lesbian”, had been touched on the bottom, had hands put down her front and was told to pull up her shirt for a “tit inspection”.

The inquiry heard of several senior police officers who had made sexual comments to other staff, including one who invited female colleagues to “come in and have a sit on his knob”, Counsel assisting the inquiry Ruth O’Gorman KC told the inquiry.

Ms O’Gorman said in some cases female officers had “paid the price” for reporting the sexist and misogynist remarks and had to leave their roles – or decided to quit – after male officers were dealt with by local managerial guidance in which they had a discussion with a superior about their conduct before returning to work.

Recruits were told they would be deemed “fresh meat”.

The Courier-Mail asked the service why female recruits were singled out for the training session and if men were also separately spoken to for their behaviour towards women.

The Queensland Police Service confirmed the terminology was used when speaking to female recruits.

“It has recently been identified a training facilitator provided personal insights whilst discussing sexual harassment in the workplace with female recruits,” a spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman said all recruits receive training across a range of QPS policy topics throughout training including professional, ethical and appropriate workplace behaviours.

“The program encourages individuals to raise group discussions on any topic, including appropriate workplace relationships,” the spokeswoman said.