‘Rape is just surprise sex’: Inquiry told of damning police misogyny
Queensland police officers have said “domestic violence is just foreplay”, “rape is just surprise sex”, “she’s too ugly to be raped” and “she deserved it”.
The officer, whose identity is subject to a non-publication order, was the first officer to speak out about cultural issues at the inquiry, headed by Commissioner Deborah Richards. “Or [influence] the [victim’s] willingness to proceed down a pathway for fear they have more knowledge than she does about how to navigate the legal processes of the Family Court and domestic violence applications,” he said.Counsel assisting the inquiry, Ruth O’Gorman, said one of the officer’s colleagues referred to women as “sluts and bitches”.
He said there was a myth often brought up by officers that female victims trying to apply for a domestic violence order were often trying to “screw him [the respondent] over in Family Court”.Officers would often opt to help victims who were well-dressed, tertiary educated, and did not present with a background of drugs, mental health or a criminal record, the officer told the hearing.
The officer said disparaging language was also used to describe victim survivors and female colleagues, including “c*nt”, “slut”, and “mole”.The officer said Queensland Police Service members needed significantly better domestic violence training. “That just said to me that either the Commissioner has no insight into these issues, or ‘we know and we’re not going to do anything about it because we’re the police and we’re always right’. I’m sorry to get so emotional, but that was the most disappointing email I’ve ever received,” he said.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Too ugly to be raped’: Queensland inquiry hears police were dismissive of domestic violence victimsOfficer gives evidence of colleagues describing rapes in intimate relationships as ‘surprise sex’, and saying they ‘deserved to be raped’
Read more »
Almost 2000 Qld police officers yet to start domestic violence trainingAn inquiry has also heard that several respondents to domestic violence orders have applied to become police officers in the past 18 months.
Read more »
Fewer than 20% of alleged breaches of Queensland domestic violence orders result in chargesInquiry hears police lodged 50,704 applications for contraventions of orders, with 9,347 charges laid
Read more »
Police 'just dismissed' requests for help from domestic violence murder victim, daughter saysThe daughter of a domestic violence murder victim says women in Queensland are forced to play a game of 'Russian roulette' as to whether they are going to get proper support from police.
Read more »
Murder victim's requests for help were 'dismissed' by police, daughter saysThe daughter of a domestic violence murder victim says women in Queensland are forced to play a game of 'Russian roulette' as to whether they are going to get proper support from police.
Read more »
NSW premier describes evidence heard by John Barilaro inquiry as ‘concerning’Dominic Perrottet says there’s ‘no place for gifts of government jobs’ after claims New York trade role would be ‘a present for someone’
Read more »