Queensland police are investigating social media posts on a private Facebook group for law enforcement personnel that belittled domestic violence victims and implied officers purposefully avoid responding to such incidents.
The posts were made at the same time as public hearings in a commission of inquiry into Queensland police responses to domestic violence have unearthed numerous allegations of a misogynistic culture within the service that has repeatedly failed women.
Guardian Australia has seen several offensive posts published on the Facebook group, which proclaims to be a space for current and former Australian law enforcement officers.
A Queensland member of the group uploaded a photo ranking domestic violence allegations from “dogshit” or “very poor quality” to “bullshit” or “not true” and “batshit – insane”.
The group member said the photo could be used when describing “the parties involved in the 10th DV [domestic violence incident] of the night”, with the post attracting dozens of “likes” or laughing emojis.
He also shared a meme of Star Wars’ Darth Sidious shooting lightning from his fingers, implying he felt a sense of “unlimited power” when choosing to respond to traffic-related jobs before he could be assigned a domestic violence incident.
A spokesperson at the Queensland Police Service (QPS) said the force’s Ethical Standards Command had “registered a complaint relating to the reported social media posts and the complaint is being assessed.”
The QPS spokesperson said members may be subjected to “disciplinary action for improper use of social media such as publishing inappropriate content online.”
“Earlier this year, the QPS implemented the Use of Social Media policy which provides clear guidelines for all QPS employees,” the spokesperson said.
“Officers are rightly expected to meet a high level of service and standard of conduct.
“It is always disappointing to hear examples of where those standards are not met, and in those circumstances the failure to meet those standards are addressed.”
Betty Taylor, chief executive of Red Rose Foundation, said the “degrading and dismissing” posts undermined trust in police.
“In the context of the commission, it’s just awful,” she said.
“There are officers who are stepping up and doing the right thing. They’re putting their careers on the line. And then you have this going on, it sort of undermines all that.
“I just find that reprehensible.”
The inquiry has heard a raft of serious allegations, including from a senior constable who said he’d witnessed a colleague deliberately drive away from a suburb to avoid responding to a domestic violence incident.
He also alleged he’d heard colleagues claim some victims “deserved to be raped”, are “too ugly to be raped”, that “domestic violence is just foreplay” and rape is “surprise sex”.
This week, the inquiry heard a senior Queensland police officer told a colleague that police did not investigate the suspicious death of a domestic violence victim because she and her husband were “a pair of scumbags who live in a shit area in a shit house”.
The public hearings prompted the Queensland police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, to last week send an internal email to officers updating them on proceedings and lamenting negative media coverage.
Carroll thanked officers in the email, saying she was “extremely proud” of their “commitment and dedication” to keeping the state’s “most vulnerable people safe”, and said the inquiry had heard about “QPS’ capability, capacity and evolving structures to respond to DFV”.
“The evidence heard in the public hearings to date has been reported by a variety of media outlets. Unfortunately, these reports have generally focused on the negative aspects, and whilst we acknowledge the certainly negative aspects must be aired, this has diminished the excellent work that has been and continues to be done across the state in response to DFV on a daily basis,” she wrote.
The QPS spokesperson said the inquiry was an opportunity for police to improve responses to domestic and family violence.
“The service looks forward to continuing to work with the commission of inquiry and receiving its recommendations.”
In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org
