Victoria Police is under fire after shocking figures revealed 683 officers have been investigated for sexual and domestic violence over the past five years, including 185 for sexual assault or child sex offences.
But the true number of police offenders could be much higher, as the Sexual Offences and Family Violence Unit (SOFVU), which provided the data to the Herald Sun under Freedom of Information, only handles the most serious allegations.
The SOFVU has scrutinised an average of 140 officers a year, or about three a week, since it was established in 2021 to conduct internal probes into police employees accused of family violence and new and historical allegations of sexual assault.
According to the figures, 90 officers were investigated for severe domestic violence allegations, and 270 were looked into for predatory behaviour, sexual harassment or inappropriate comments, along with the 185 who allegedly committed sexual assault or child sex offences.
A lawyer from a prominent Victoria injury law firm revealed they were dealing with one police domestic violence allegation a week, and said “the culture at Victoria Police is quite rife with this kind of behaviour”.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, who marched in a sexually explicit “pride” parade with homosexual officers and their children during the Midsumma festival last year and was promoted during the Covid lockdowns where police used unlawful violence against peaceful protesters, said the figures were alarming.
“That’s a significant concern,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne on Tuesday, but argued that similar crimes were committed in all sectors of society.
“This isn’t just specific to police. I mean those types of offences, other than the predatory behaviour, where they’re leveraging off their office offences, they are right across the spectrum of the community.
“Am I trying to defend that? No.”
The disturbing figures come as Victoria Police are embroiled in a pay dispute with the state government, and are demanding more money despite being unable to stop African gang crime, a raging illegal tobacco war, and a recruitment crisis.
As of late last year the force had a shortage of 1,029 officers, and public confidence is at an all-time low after the actions of the force during the Covid pandemic, with just 58% of residents satisfied with policing services, down from 73.1% a year ago.
Meanwhile, officers continue to be treated leniently by police prosecutors and the courts, with an officer accused of performing Nazi salutes recently escaping criminal investigation.
In February last year officer Conor McCurley, 26, walked free from court without spending a day in jail despite admitting to years of child sex offences committed against a young girl who was just nine when the abuse started.
Header image credit: Victoria Police
