Daniel Mattiuzzo: Victoria Police officer sacked for leaking photo of dead body

A Victoria Police officer put “highly sensitive” information in an online group chat, including a photo of a dead body.

Former Victoria Police constable Daniel Mattiuzzo was fired for “disgraceful conduct”. Picture: NewsWire (file photo)

A junior police officer sent “highly senstive” information, including a picture of a dead body social media group chat, along with comments “so offensive, degrading and dehumanising” government lawyers wanted them kept secret.

Former constable Daniel Mattiuzzo effectively quit Victoria Police on Friday when he withdrew legal proceedings challenging the decision of a senior officer, specially appointed by Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, to sack him from the force in November last year.

Mr Mattiuzzo’s case was due to be heard in a closed session of the Police Services Review Board on Tuesday.

But Mr Mattiuzzo’s lawyer, David Ashcroft, withdrew his client’s case after the Herald Sun successfully argued for the case to be heard in public.

In agreeing to hear the case in public, the board agreed there was legitimate public interest in Mr Matiuzzo’s case and the fallout from it.

Mr Ashcroft gave no reason for suddenly withdrawing Mr Mattiuzzo’s case, but doing so avoided the detailed public airing of the case against his client.

Former constable Daniel Mattiuzzo withdrew his legal challenge against Victoria Police. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

The Board heard Mr Mattiuzzo’s conduct included sending a pictures of a dead body, a crime scene, the victim of a violent crime, and the details of a victim of alleged domestic violence, among other “highly sensitive” information, to a social media group chat me was a member of.

The members of the group chat were not police officers, and Mr Mattiuzzo had no legitimate reason for leaking the images.

Chief Commissioner Patton’s representative, Sergeant Elisha Nolan, told the Board some of the comments Mr Mattiuzzo’s wrote accompanying the photos were “so offensive, derogatory, and dehumanising that it shouldn’t be released”.

It is understood Mr Mattiuzzo accessed some of the information from Victoria Police’s internal database.

Whistleblowers who found out about Mr Mattiuzzo’s conduct reported him.

Mr Mattiuzzo was sacked after being found guilty of five counts of the internal disciplinary charge of “disgraceful conduct”, but the precise details of Mr Mattiuzzo’s conduct cannot be published because of orders designed to protect the privacy of his victims.

It is unclear whether Mr Mattiuzzo’s victims, or their families, have been informed of the breaches of privacy.

Mr Ashcroft, told the board it was still unclear the ramifications his client’s conduct would have on his victims.

“We don’t know what sort of effect this is going to have,” he said.

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