Victoria Police face possible second probe over bungled investigation

The family at the centre of the ‘body in the dunes’ mystery complains to IBAC after police ‘shut down’ investigation.

Simon Gaskill in the 1980s.

IBAC is considering a complaint from the family at the centre of the “body in the dunes” mystery over the bungled police investigation into the death.

Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission is conducting a preliminary review of a complaint against police by the family of Simon Gaskill, whose body lay undiscovered at a popular Victorian beach for weeks before being found.

‘‘As a matter of practice, IBAC does not comment on whether it has a complaint or investigation before it,’’ an agency spokesman said on Thursday.

‘‘Every complaint IBAC receives is assessed in accordance with the IBAC Act to determine whether IBAC will investigate, refer it to another organisation for investigation, or dismiss it. IBAC communicates its decision directly with all complainants and notifying bodies.’’

The Australian has confirmed the Gaskill family lodged a complaint with IBAC alleging the original police investigation into the 51-year-old’s death at Ocean Grove in April 2022 was inadequate and unprofessional.

The prospect that IBAC, which is charged with investigating police misconduct, could launch a probe followed Wednesday’s dramatic decision by the Coroners Court of Victoria to reopen the investigation into Gaskill’s mysterious death.

In a move legal sources ­revealed was extremely rare, Deputy State Coroner Jacqui Hawkins set aside her original findings from July 2022, that ­listed the cause of Gaskill’s death as ‘‘unascertained’’.

In a letter to Gaskill’s sister, Amanda, Ms Hawkins cited new evidence uncovered by The Weekend Australian in a 4500-word magazine story into the tragedy.

‘‘I am satisfied the application (from the Gaskill family) and the article constitute new facts and circumstances that were not known to me at the time I finalised my finding,’’ she stated in her five-page finding, reopening the case.

‘‘I am satisfied that these new facts and circumstances make it appropriate for me to set aside some or all of my findings and reopen the investigation.’’

Ms Gaskill has been pushing for answers to how her brother, who had been living in a tent in the Ocean Grove sand dunes for some weeks, died. His decomposed remains were found by a teenager on April 15 last year.