Gold Coast police officer moved stations after sexual harassment claims
A senior Gold Coast police officer has been ordered to move from a busy station after allegations he sexually harassed junior officers over multiple years.
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A senior Gold Coast police officer has been ordered to move from a busy station after allegations he sexually harassed junior officers over multiple years.
The officer, who at this point cannot be named, allegedly looked up junior officers’ social media profiles and sent them inappropriate messages.
It is also alleged the officer asked a woman for oral sex in the day area of the station.
The officer has been moved from a Gold Coast station to another work area while police conduct internal investigations.
It is understood the alleged harassment involved multiple female junior officers over a number of years.
A Queensland Police spokeswoman said: “The matter is currently under internal investigation therefore no further comment can be provided at this stage.”
The complaint was only made after the independent Commission of Inquiry into Police last year uncovered evidence of “a culture where attitudes of misogyny, sexism and racism are allowed to be expressed, and at times acted upon, largely unchecked” within the Queensland Police Service.
The Commission of Inquiry report released in November detailed how there had been a “culture of fear” for police when it come to reporting allegations to sexual harassment by fellow officers.
The Commission heard multiple complaints from female officers about their mistreatment at the hands of their colleagues.
The 400-page report highlighted a failure of leadership and included 78 recommendations to fix the racism, sexism and misogyny within the police.
Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence Director Di MacLeod said she hoped police were taking the allegations “very seriously”.
“It really underlines how important it is for police to have very supportive processes for victims to come forward,” she said.
“And for them to be protected in the scheme of things.
“I feel for people who have had to suffer over the years without the confidence of being able to speak up.
“There has got to be really good support for whistleblowers in this area.”
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