NT Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne apologises for racist comments against Aboriginal women

Colleen Gwynne has apologised for racist comments she made while being bugged by police after prosecutors drop the Supreme Court case against her. ‘I watched with increasing despair as the case took a life of its own.’

The Children’s Commissioner has apologised for racist comments she made while being secretly recorded by police.

Colleen Gwynne was found not guilty on the fourth day of her Supreme Court trial, after prosecutors dropped their case alleging she committed an abuse of public office from 2018 to 2019.

It was originally alleged that between December 1, 2018 and June 16, 2019, Ms Gwynne used her public officer role to hire her friend, Laura Dewson, and install her as her second-in-command.

After a direction from NT Supreme Court Justice John Burns on Tuesday morning, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

Standing outside the Darwin courthouse, Ms Gwynne said she welcomed being found not guilty and needed time to consider her “future” as the children’s safety watchdog.

Ms Gwynne said she had been humiliated and victimised by the three-year investigation which she claimed targeted her.

“At no stage have I ever been interviewed by investigators,” she said. “Key witnesses, who would have demonstrated my innocence were never spoken to.”

“The humiliation and victimisation to which I‘ve been subjected, merely for doing my job is something that I’ve had to endure in silence.

“I watched with increasing despair as the case took a life of its own.”

The jury were told by Prosecutor Georgia Wright that a secret police recording of the independent government watchdog’s office recorded Ms Gwynne using racist and “malicious” language.

The recording allegedly captured Ms Gwynne calling Nicole Hucks, an Aboriginal woman on maternity leave, a “fat g-n”, a ”c—t” and a “b—h”.

It was alleged that Ms Gwynne and her friend Laura Dewson believed Ms Hucks had appealed a decision to install Ms Dewson as the assistant children’s commissioner in 2018, and Ms Gwynne told her friend: “Mate, I won’t forget. I’ll f—king target her”.

Outside the court, Ms Gwynne apologised to those hurt and offended by the recordings.

The Territory’s Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne gives a statement outside the Supreme Court in Darwin after being found not guilty of one count of abuse of public office on Tuesday.

“I acknowledged those words were extremely offensive. I am mortified that I ever expressed my anger and frustration in that way. ”

“Those people who know me, know this is just not who I am.”

Ms Hucks is currently the acting Children’s Commissioner, while Ms Gwynne has been on leave from the top role since being charged in 2020.

Ms Gwynne did not say if she would be continuing in the Children’s Commissioner role, which she has held for five-years including during the 2017 Don Dale Royal Commission.

“I ask now that my privacy be respected while I take time to consider my future,” she said.

The racial slurs used to demean Aboriginal women, are in stark contrast to the work of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.

The latest annual report said Aboriginal children and young people continue to be over-represented in both the child protection and youth justice systems, while 88 per cent of complaints to their office about the alleged mistreatment of Indigenous children.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles would not comment on whether she would support Ms Gwynne returning as Children’s Commissioner, nor if she was concerned Ms Gwynne might take malicious prosecution action against the Territory government.

“I’ve just been made aware of that and I’ll be briefed on that matter, going forward it would be inappropriate to comment without all the facts before me,” Ms Fyles said.

Originally published as NT Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne apologises for racist comments against Aboriginal women