Police yet to accept gay hate crime inquiry recommendations despite apology

The NSW Police are yet to commit to implementing any of the recommendations from a scathing inquiry into LGBTQ hate crimes, despite the state’s police commissioner Karen Webb apologising for the force’s failures in investigating a series of deaths over four decades.

The world-first special commission of inquiry into the handling of dozens of deaths between 1970 and 2010 produced 19 recommendations, 15 of which were directed at police.

The force is yet to formally accept any of these. Police Minister Yasmin Catley told budget estimates on Friday that a taskforce had been set up to review the specific recommendations.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb issued an apology to the families of victims of gay hate crimes.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

The inquiry into LGBTQ hate crimes was led by NSW Supreme Court Justice John Sackar. It examined 32 cases in detail and found reason to suspect LGBTQ bias was a factor in 25 of them.

Seven of the 19 recommendations were directed to specific cases, including that the NSW Police apply for a fresh inquest in four cases.

Sackar was scathing in his assessment of the police’s approach to the inquiry, accusing the force of taking an “adversarial or unnecessarily defensive” stance and saying he had “faced significant and unexpected challenges” both with availability of records and the inquiry’s dealings with police.

In response to questions from the Herald about the police response to the inquiry, a spokesperson said that nothing had been finalised. Rather, a taskforce led by Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell will work through the 15 recommendations aimed directly at the force.

That’s despite Webb offering an apology via the media on Sunday in which she acknowledged police had failed by not “adequately and fairly” investigating some of the deaths highlighted by the special commission of inquiry. The failure to maintain records and exhibits had “meant missed opportunities to identify possible offenders”.

Advocates have welcomed the apology. However, health organisation ACON’s chief executive Nicolas Parkhill said, “This apology must be accompanied by meaningful action delivered in partnership with our communities, as well as widespread cultural change and leadership within the NSW Police Force.

“The capacity and commitment to get it right won’t come easily, but in the spirit of reconciliation, we are willing partners to assist the NSW Police Force in redressing the wrongs of the past.”

Advocates are particularly concerned about systemic issues identified by the commission, including the need for “additional mandatory and ongoing training” on topics including bias crime, meaning a crime motivated by prejudice, and “the role of conscious and unconscious bias and the potential impact of bias on investigations”.

Independent MP Alex Greenwich also said consultation was crucial in responding to those issues. “Victims’ families, survivors and the wider LGBTIQ community need more than an apology, they need action,” he said.

In a statement, Catley said the abinet Office was coordinating a formal response to the inquiry and that the police task force would provide the government with a progress report by the end of March.

“The government is thoroughly considering the contents of the report and is committed to a meaningful response. The government will respond in due course,” she said.