NT Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne breaks silence after abuse of office charge
THE NT’s high-profile Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne has slammed the charge of abuse of office against her as ‘misconceived’ and says she will be pleading not guilty
Northern Territory
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- NT’s Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne has been charged with alleged ‘abuse of office’ by NT Police
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THE NT’s high-profile Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne has slammed the charge of abuse of office against her as “misconceived” and says she will be pleading not guilty.
Ms Gwynne, through a statement released by her legal representatives at Bowden McCormack Lawyers, said she would be “vigorously” defending the charge and her reputation.
“Like every citizen I am entitled to the presumption of innocence, and I look forward to clearing my name,” she said.
Ms Gwynne, 54, was charged with “abuse of office” by NT Police yesterday, in an investigation sparked by a referral dating back to late 2018.
Attorney-General Natasha Fyles has confirmed Ms Gwynne has been granted leave from the role.
The Territory’s criminal code states that “any person who, being employed in the public service, does or directs to be done, in abuse of the authority of the person’s office, any arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights of another is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment for two years”.
That rises to three years if the act is “for purposes of gain”.
Ms Gwynne said she had not been offered an interview with police and was not aware of the specifics of the charge against her.
“In my role as NT Children’s Commissioner I have always been motivated to act in the public interest and in the interests of NT children,” she said.
“In my career of over 30 years I have always adopted this approach.
“Throughout my long career I have only ever acted in the interests of the Northern Territory.
“I will vigorously defend this charge, and my reputation. This is a misconceived charge.”
The NT News understands the charge relates to the hiring of a staff member.
Ms Gwynne will be represented by Phillip Boulten SC instructed by Bowden McCormack Lawyers.
NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker confirmed an “external referral” had been made to police in 2018.
The Office of the Independent Commissioner against Corruption (ICAC), which was created in November 2018, confirmed its predecessor the Office of the Commissioner for Public Interest Disclosures had referred the matter to NT Police.
ICAC did not investigate the matter nor refer it to the Director of Public Prosecutions a spokesman said.
Ms Gwynne has been responsible for significant reforms in the Territory’s child protection and juvenile detention systems since taking on the Children’s Commissioner role in 2015.
She has investigated some of the Territory’s most horrific cases of child abuse and neglect, including spending her first year as Children’s Commissioner looking into the Don Dale facility.
In May she was reappointed for another five-year term and was praised by Attorney-General Natasha Fyles for being “at the coalface of significant change and legislation reform”.
Ms Gwynne also had a highly regarded 26-year career with the NT Police after joining the force aged 22.
By 2002 she had risen to the ranks of Alice Springs region superintendent, which is when she began looking into the disappearance of Briton Peter Falconio.
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She is widely known outside the Territory as the cop who managed to get murderer Bradley John Murdoch behind bars.
She is due to appear in court on August 27.
Originally published as NT Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne breaks silence after abuse of office charge