Family violence victim sues state after complaints about abusive police husband ignored

A woman choked and bashed by her partner, a serving policeman, made multiple attempts to get help from police but was told to “patch things up”.

A woman choked and bashed by her partner, a serving policeman, is suing the state after repeated attempts to warn the force she was in danger were ignored.

A woman choked and bashed by her partner, a serving policeman, is suing the state after repeated attempts to warn the force she was in danger were ignored.

The victim of the family violence, known as Jay, filed a complaint with police in 2018, saying she was subjected to abuse by then serving police officer Darren Hanegraaf.

Jay told the Herald Sun the violence was covered up by his police colleagues.

The assaults resulted in her being hospitalised and also left her hearing-impaired and requiring a hearing aid, she said.

During her relationship with Hanegraaf between 2015 and 2018, Jay said she made multiple attempts to get help from police, but was told to “patch things up” with her abuser.

After reporting the violence to another police station and divulging to an officer there that she had an escape plan to flee to Sydney with her children, the plan was leaked.

Jay told the Herald Sun it caused her to feel unable to leave the relationship and left her in fear. “There were domestic violence incidents where he strangled me and bashed me unconscious,” Jay said.

The complaint was then taken to anti-corruption body IBAC, which was slammed in a Victorian Inspectorate report tabled in parliament on Tuesday.

Jay’s complaint to IBAC about police conduct was at the time referred to the Victoria Police professional standards command.

The Victorian Inspectorate’s key findings included:

● IBAC has systemic issues with referring complaints about its members back to Victoria Police;

● Only two per cent of serious police misconduct is investigated by IBAC;

● IBAC did not notify the Victorian Inspectorate of the complaint, as required.

The inspectorate said “the issues with IBAC’s handling of the case are so serious and long running, and the consequences so devastating, that it worthy of consideration and public comment.”

It found Jay was exposed to more harm by her then partner due to IBAC’s inaction and denied justice by the delays in investigating her case.

IBAC has disputed the Victorian Inspectorate’s findings, indicating it does not have the resources to pursue the more investigations.

In about mid-2019, Hanegraaf was charged with 70 offences over the assault and harassment of his partner. The charges were later consolidated during a 2020 plea deal. An initial two year jail term was reduced to a community corrections order on appeal.

An IBAC statement said it made significant changes to how it reviews Victoria Police-related complaints in recent years.

Victoria Police said it was limited in its response as the case was before the courts.