AFP sex abuse and bullying investigations under fire
A hotline investigation unit set up to allow AFP officers to safely make complaints about sexual harassment and bullying, has been embroiled in controversy.
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It was supposed to be a safe place for female and male police officers to report and have investigated, sexual harassment, bullying and assault complaints without fear of retribution or that their complaint details would be “leaked” from internal affairs (known as PRS) derailing their careers.
But the investigations undertaken by the independent sex abuse unit, Safe Place, set up after a shocking report into the culture of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) by former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, has been quietly shifted back to internal affairs where it all went so wrong — in direct contradiction to the report’s recommendations.
And once again the process of investigating personal abuse inside the AFP has been criticised, this time by the Commonwealth Ombudsman, and a senator.
And Sex abuse survivor advocate, Nina Funnell, said “the move may well stop victims of sexual violence or bullying from reporting the abuse”.
Under tough questioning in the Senate committee overseeing the AFP, the organisation revealed the criticisms have forced yet another rethink and plans to shift investigations flowing from hotline complaints, once again out of PRS.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge put the AFP on notice formally asking “who on earth” decided to put Safe Place back into PRS when the Broderick review was so scathing of it.
The answer due to be given to the Senate last month, remains unaddressed and flagged as overdue. A spokesman for The AFP said they “will provide responses to Questions on Notice as soon as possible, likely in January 2023 …”
But the whole bizarre situation of shifting Safe Place investigations out of and back into PRS and now out again has all been done so quietly, not even the AFP Association for members was consulted.
AFPA President Alex Caruana said the AFPA noted the recommendations and suggestions from the Ombudsman.
“However, the AFPA has not been consulted regarding the AFP implementing any of these recommendations or suggestions,” he said.
TROUBLED HISTORY
When the Cultural Change: Gender Diversity and Inclusion in the Australian Federal Police report by Ms Broderick was given to former AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin back in 2016, the results were shocking.
Forty six per cent of women and 20 per cent of men reported being sexually harassed in the previous five years — almost double the national average.
The review found 62 per cent of men and 66 per cent of women reported being bullied.
The comments particularly from women said it all:
“When I reported the incident to my team leader. I was moved. How is that fair?
“I spoke to PRS 14 months ago (about the sexual harassment incident). I’ve heard nothing since then. It’s a joke.
“I have experienced harassment and the response was woeful. I was also victimised because I made a complaint.
“Because I reported being sexually harassed, my career here is over.”
It found “sexualised work environments” and that the AFP was not a safe place to report incidents.
Commissioner Colvin responded to the landmark review, saying “these practices will not be tolerated.”
He put Assistant Commissioner Ray Johnson in charge of overseeing changes.
Under Commander Johnson, AFP Safe Place was quickly established to ensure complainants would be treated with respect, sensitivity and confidentiality and not affect their careers.
A year into its operations Safe Place was being hailed as a success after receiving 300 cases, and finalising 180.
UNDER PRESSURE
But then there were reports the unit was so inundated with work and under-resourced, experienced staff were struggling to keep up.
Tragically, a female officer working in the Safe Place office suicided, sparking calls for further reform.
And another long-time AFP officer, Lyndie Lalliard, successfully sued the AFP’s workers compensation insurer Comcare for a workplace injury claiming she was retraumatised by her engagement with Safe Place.
Then Commissioner Colvin retired in late 2019 and having barely left the building, Safe Place investigations were quietly shifted back into the hands of PRS – sparking concern from the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s office in a report released in August “about the potential impact of this change and how it aligned with previous recommendations to the AFP by the Broderick report.”
“Our office made better practice suggestions to the AFP based on the previous suggestions of the Broderick Report and in light of sexual harrassment complaint investigations being moved to PRS...,” the Ombudsman said in a report on he AFP.
An AFP spokeswoman said the support, case management and advice-based components of Safe Place are separate from PRS and have been since its establishment.
But she said PRS does investigate the allegations - “this is the most appropriate area... to investigate complaints of a serious nature, due to their greater investigative powers.”
BULLYING CONTINUES
When Senator Shoebridge asked the AFP in December when it would take Safe Place out of PRS and actually put it in a safe place, Charlotte Tessler the AFP’s Chief Operating Officer said it was “imminent”.
Ms Tessler said the recent criticisms had sparked another review.
Tellingly, in the latest AFP all staff survey published last year, 25 per cent of all members still said they had experienced bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment.
When asked if they witnessed bullying or harassment and not reported it, 75 per cent of staff said yes because “of the impression that it would not be listened to and culture of management is to never respond.”
They concluded “HR always side with management and discourage pushing issues”.
Originally published as AFP sex abuse and bullying investigations under fire
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