No special treatment

Editorial: Cathy Le

Photography: Grant Condon

Support groups have welcomed a new Victoria Police team tasked with investigating officers who perpetrate family violence as an important step in keeping victims safe.

Family violence services peak body Safe and Equal, which has advocated for improvement in how Victoria Police deals with perpetrators within its ranks, has welcomed the creation of the team.

Chief executive officer Tania Farha said it was an important step forward in how Victoria Police tackled the issue.

A stand-alone policy has also been introduced to give police clear directions about how to handle cases where a Victoria Police employee is a suspected family violence perpetrator.

“The policy is an important start in tackling this complex issue and is a first step in not only ensuring that victim survivors feel confident and safe to report incidences of family violence perpetrated by a police employee but that police attending know how to respond,’’ Ms Farha said.

“While a lack of available data means we do not know the true scope of this issue, we do know that a robust response from Victoria Police is fundamental - and how the policy and investigation units are implemented is critically important.”

Victoria Police consulted victims and support agencies in the lead-up to creating the team and policy changes to ensure the voices of those subjected to family violence were reflected in the reforms.

“We support policies like this one that standardise police practice and processes that are safe and fair for victim survivors and ensure they are listened to, believed and supported, and their confidence and confidentiality upheld,’’ Ms Farha said.

“Safe and Equal looks forward to seeing the additional safeguards Victoria Police will employ to ensure that victim survivor safety and perpetrator accountability underpin the implementation of the policy and hope Victoria Police will continue to listen to and be informed by survivor voices.”

The new Employee Related Family Violence Investigation Team operates within Professional Standards Command’s newlyestablished Sexual Offences Family Violence Unit, formerly known as Taskforce Salus.

It’s been established in response to the Royal Commission into Family Violence which found Victoria Police – as a reflection of the community - would likely have perpetrators among its ranks.

Nine specialist detectives and two witness support officers make up the new investigative team.

They’re responsible for investigating the most serious and complex cases involving Victoria Police employees accused of family violence and oversee all cases across the state.

Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh, of Professional Standards Command, said she hoped the team’s establishment would give victims greater confidence to report to police.

“We know victims of family violence don’t report to police for several reasons. This is especially the case if the perpetrator is a serving officer,” AC Walsh said.

“Family violence offending doesn’t reconcile with who we are as police officers. Our job is to prevent crime and help the community.

“It doesn’t land well with me nor my colleagues when they hear an officer has been involved in family violence.

“Family violence incidents are complex, and we know there will be added challenges for police when perpetrators of these crimes are their colleagues.

The Employee Related Family Violence Investigation Team will investigate both current and historical reports of family violence and sexual offences committed by Victoria Police employees.

Frontline police handling such cases will now have access to specialist advice aroundthe-clock.

“Dedicating a unit to this crime demonstrates how fervently we want to get this right,” AC Walsh said.

Victoria Police employees who commit a crime are not only subject to a criminal investigation but internal disciplinary action.

This can lead to their employment being terminated.

The focus on victims has also led to the creation of a new guide, developed in consultation with victims and family violence organisations, that steps victims through the reporting and investigation process.

The reporting process can be intimidating, and the guide is designed to help victims understand the options available to them each step of the way to hopefully make it less daunting. We want victims to know they will be supported when they take that step.

“If we’re doing our job right, we’ll receive all accounts of family violence.

“We want a spike in confidence to report these crimes and spike in successful court matters, in line with the outcomes we see for the rest of our community.”

The new standalone policy for dealing with police who perpetrate family violence sets out clear obligations responding police must follow to ensure a consistent approach and prioritise victim safety.

Assistant Commissioner Lauren Callaway, of Family Violence Command, said victims could now have confidence there was one clear set of rules stipulating how their cases would be investigated.

“Multiple policies existed previously, which has led to confusion and an inconsistent approach,’’ AC Callaway said.

AC Callaway said the development of the policy was a “leadership moment” for Victoria Police.

“We know that there’s still a long way to go but the establishment of the new team and policy are definitely steps in the right direction,” she said.

“There should be no culture of impunity for officers and especially not at the expense of keeping victims safe.

“If we want the community to trust that police treat family violence seriously, we need to be applying the same level of effort and accountability to our own officers.

“We will continue to engage those with lived experiences, particularly children. Over recent months I’ve personally met with people who have shared their lived experience with me and are supporting Victoria Police to help us do better. Listening to victims has been central in shaping this policy and how we improve.”