Victoria Police chief Shane Patton says sorry for ‘trauma experienced by so many Aboriginal families in our jurisdiction’

Thirty three Indigenous people have died while incarcerated in Victoria since 1991 but no police officer has been investigated or faced punishment, an inquiry has heard.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

No Victoria Police member has been investigated or faced punishment for any of the 33 Aboriginal deaths that have occurred in custody since 1991, an inquiry has heard.

And just one officer has been sacked over alleged racism, despite the force having received 175 complaints of racist police behaviour within the last five years.

The revelations were unearthed during the powerful Yoorrook Justice Commission, which is Australia’s first Indigenous truth-telling body that holds the same powers as a Royal Commission.

Top cop Shane Patton was hauled before the inquiry on Monday where he issued a formal apology for Victoria Police’s racist treatment of Aboriginal Victorians, acknowledging that discriminatory behaviour at the hands of police had gone “unpunished”.

The Chief Commissioner said the force “has caused harm in the past and unfortunately continues to do so in the present”.

Mr Patton issued a formal apology for Victoria Police’s racism. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“I wish to formally and unreservedly apologise for police actions that have caused or contributed to the trauma experienced by so many Aboriginal families in our jurisdiction,” he said.

“As a result of systemic racism, racist attitudes and discriminatory actions of police have gone undetected, unchecked, unpunished or without appropriate sanctions and have caused significant harm across generations of Aboriginal families.”

Mr Patton said it is unacceptable that Aboriginal people remain over-represented in the Victorian criminal justice system.

The number of First Nations people imprisoned in Victoria between 2010 and 2020 increased by 148 per cent. On June 30 last year, 695 First Peoples were locked up.

Chair of the Yoorrook Justice Commission Professor Eleanor Bourke AM. Picture: Brianna Young/Yoorrook Justice Commission

Since the national Royal Commission on Aboriginal deaths in custody handed down its recommendations in 1991, 33 Indigenous people have died while incarcerated in Victoria.

Police Minister Anthony Carbines told the commission that he is not aware of a single police officer being investigated, reprimanded or changed in relation to any of the deaths.

“There will be, naturally, investigations into those matters but where accountability is held has clearly been lacking,” he said.

In the past five years, 175 police officers have been the subject of racism complaints. Just one has been dismissed for racism related matters, while another was transferred.

One or two officers received a good behaviour bond, and a few more quit before facing internal disciplinary hearings.

The Commission also heard that up until recently it was not mandatory for police members to take part in a cultural awareness and training course, which won’t be finalised until next year.

Mr Patton said it was “such a glaring oversight” that officers were not being forced to do the three-and-a-half-hour training course.

Mr Patton accepted a culturally symbolic shield from the Commission, who asked for it to hang in the office of current and future Chief Commissioners to remind the entire force of its duty to protect First Peoples communities and families.

Chair of Yoorrook Professor Eleanor Bourke said the Commission had heard that First Peoples “continue to be targeted, attacked, harassed and racially profiled by police”.

“Since the very beginning, Victoria Police has been the main arm of the Victorian government; the Colonial Government carried out forced occupation of our home lands, and the destruction of our families,” she said.