A domestic violence victim was “failed” by a Queensland police officer who minimised her assault, despite clear evidence of a “punch-sized” bruise on her ribcage and allegations her partner threatened to decapitate a dog, a commission of inquiry has heard.
The inquiry into police responses to domestic and family violence also heard of instances of officers failing to switch on body-worn cameras and victims being turned away from front counters when attempting to report domestic violence.
Sergeant Paul Trinder told the inquiry he was working as a shift supervisor when an officer omitted crucial details when informing him about the assault.
“There was clear evidence that she had been assaulted,” Trinder told the inquiry on Thursday.
“The respondent had threatened to decapitate the family dog in front of her and her children. There was clear photographic evidence that she had been assaulted, [with a] punch-sized bruise around her ribcage and so on.”
Trinder said the officer had hoped to get approval for a domestic violence referral for the victim, rather than having to take the appropriate action.
“I had to provide an official direction to those officers to revisit that and then take appropriate action and that action was taken,” he said.
On another occasion, an officer did not act on a complaint about a breach of a domestic violence order for two months, Trinder told the inquiry.
Trinder said he learned of the case when the officer transferred to a nearby station and attempted to offload the matter.
He sent the task back to the officer with a “please explain”, which resulted in the officer’s new supervisor threatening disciplinary action against Trinder.
“I took it on myself [to ring the victim] and … explain to her and apologise to her about why this had taken so long,” he told the inquiry.
“I asked her if she would like to make a complaint about that officer … and submitted [it] through internal channels.”
The inquiry has also heard from a former officer who experienced shortcomings when attempting to report domestic and family violence incidents in her own personal life.
The retired officer told the inquiry she was overwhelmed with feelings of “extreme disappointment” after she was unable to convince a constable to investigate domestic violence against her mother.
She said she collected six months’ worth of evidence showing her mother had experienced financial abuse by two of her siblings.
When she arrived at a police station with her mother, the constable dismissed the complaint and made “excuses” about why the issue was not domestic violence, she told the inquiry. She did not identify herself as a fellow officer at the time.
“My mother had advanced dementia, she didn’t understand what was happening. She was in a wheelchair,” she said.
“[The officer] said, ‘if you think it’s DV, take out your own application’.”
The retired officer, who was heavily pregnant at the time, said she found herself in “a vulnerable situation” and later became a victim of domestic and family violence. She told the inquiry she received verbal threats from her siblings but refused to return to the police station as she was “embarrassed” and felt they would not take the matter seriously.
She said that while working at a police communication centre, she and her colleagues were “guilty of” avoiding attending to calls for service for domestic violence incidents, witnessed officers rushing through investigations and police using derogatory language about callers.
“[I heard things like] ‘Oh that ‘f-wit has called again’, ‘that spoon’s on the line again’, ‘don’t bother sending crews to that job, she’s just blowing hot air’,” she said.
The Queensland police service said it “is encouraging and supporting current and former officers in contributing to the commission of inquiry”.
“The QPS will work with the commission of inquiry to examine any issues raised as part of the inquiry and respond accordingly to ensure that organisational values, standards of practice and responsibilities are being maintained and, where the opportunity arises, enhanced,” a spokesperson said.
