Victoria Police bullying and sexual harassment uncovered after sergeant's death
An ABC investigation found widespread bullying, sexual harassment and corruption at a Victoria Police station. This was after sergeant Shona O'Connor died by suicide in 2019.
Victoria Police faces serious questions about internal culture. An ABC Four Corners investigation found bullying, sexual harassment and corruption at Melton police station.
Sergeant Shona O'Connor, 43, died by suicide in November 2019. She had worked for years in the station's harsh environment.
Court records and internal police messages show a hostile "boys' club". Female officers were nicknamed "pee wees" and faced sexual harassment.
O'Connor told her family that senior sergeant Simon Payne made wrong comments about her body twice. She reported this to her inspector, Kathryn Rudkins, but nothing happened.
Rudkins later said she never got the complaint. Other female officers said the station was unsafe.
Drinking at work was encouraged and became normal. Victoria Police had investigated the station almost three years before O'Connor's death.
They sent out a form asking about claims of predatory behaviour. O'Connor's family has asked for the coroner's investigation to be reopened.
Why it mattersThe investigation shows serious failures in a police force that protects the public. This raises urgent questions about accountability and workplace safety.
AustraliaVictorians and officers in Victoria Police are confronted with evidence of deep cultural problems within their police service, with implications for officer wellbeing and public trust.
