NT Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne charged with abuse of office
The Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner has been charged with abuse of office.
The Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner has been charged with abuse of office.
Colleen Gwynne, a respected public servant and former police officer, was handed a notice to appear in court on 27 August.
Ms Gwynne is widely known is the woman who helped convict Peter Falconio’s murderer Bradley John Murdoch.
She was appointed Children’s Commissioner in 2015 and reappointed in May for a further five years.
During that time, she has authored several important reports, including one released last month into serial abuse of Aboriginal children by two foster carer.
The charge against her will come as a shock to many. She declined to comment when reached by The Australian.
The NT’s criminal code defines abuse of office as a public servant acting or causing others to act in a prejudicial way. The offence carries a potential sentence of two or three years in jail, depending on the severity.
An NT Police statement said the abuse of office charge had been laid against a 54-year-old woman following an investigation by the Special References Unit.
The Australian has been told the alleged offence relates to the hiring of a staff member.
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