Alarm over number of 'sex pests' in police force

IBAC report finds sex pests remain a problem for the force

Victoria’s anti-corruption body has found predatory sexual behaviour is rife within police ranks, with victims of crimes among those most at risk.

New data released by IBAC reveals that 68 per cent of all complaints received in 2022 were related to Victoria Police, according to Sky News host Rowan Dean.

Victoria’s peak weak anti-corruption body has found predatory sexual behaviour is still a problem within police ranks.

The review, conducted by the independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC), assessed 27 Victoria Police internal investigations into alleged predatory behaviour between 2018 and 2022.

Its aim was to scrutinise the thoroughness of those investigations and whether appropriate sanctions were dealt.

But despite findings that Victoria Police handle most allegations of predatory behaviour well, with a “victim-centred” approach, IBAC has found evidence sex pests remain a problem for the force.

IBAC Deputy Commissioner Kylie Kilgour said predatory behaviour involves an officer misusing their position to begin, or attempt to begin, an emotional or sexual relationship with someone they meet in the course of their duties.

“It can also relate to the sexual assault, stalking, harassment or grooming of a person,” Ms Kilgour said.

“Despite efforts undertaken by Victoria Police over recent years, our review shows that predatory behaviour continues.

“We found women experiencing domestic or family violence were targets of predatory behaviour by police officers and more than half of all cases reviewed indicated a pattern of behaviour by the perpetrator against more than one person.”

Consensual relationships within Victoria Police can be considered predatory due to power imbalance or other circumstances.

Victoria Police, in 2014, set up Taskforce Salus, to investigate predatory behaviour within the force.

Police officers, to date, are not required to declare intimate relationships in the workplace.

More than half the cases reviewed indicated a level of tolerance for inappropriate behaviour or inaction by managers after an allegation is reported to them. 

However, IBAC found most Victoria Police investigations into predatory behaviour made findings based on the evidence.

Sanctions for predatory behaviour were consistent with public expectations, IBAC found, but in some cases investigators were receiving “problematic” advice from the forces Discipline Advisory Unit.

Recommendations given to Victoria Police to reduce predatory behaviour have been accepted.

The recommendations include:

•Improvements to Victoria Police’s employee training, complaint investigation reporting and record keeping

•Improvements to the advice provided by Victoria Police’s Legal Discipline Advisory Unit

•Clearer guidance for employees on the declaration and management of intimate or personal workplace relationships

•Increased monitoring of the ethical health of police officers who are subject to predatory behaviour allegations

IBAC will monitor their implementation.

White elephant $220million 1000-bed quarantine centre is given away for FREE after housing just 730 travellers - at a cost of $300,000 a person

• QLD Wellcamp Facility handed over to Wagner Coperation
• The $220m qurantine camp only held 730 over 14 months
• It was operated at a cost of $300,000 per unvaxxed person

A $220million quarantine centre has been handed over to a property magnate after housing just 730 tourists at the 1,000-bed facility over 14 months. 

The Wellcamp facility near Toowoomba, 127kms west of Brisbane, was gifted to the Wagner Corporation on Saturday after acting as a quarantine camp for unvaccinated tourists last year.

The facility went largely unused during the pandemic after completing construction in February 2022 just as covid restrictions were easing nationwide.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced prior to construction that Queensland would pay for the entire project after a political spat with then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Now Josh Wagner and the Wagner Corporation will inherit the facility without cost when the government's lease expires.

The $220 million Wellcamp facility near Toowoomba, QLD, was handed over to the Wagner Corporation after only taking in 730 people in 14 months 

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced prior to construction that Queensland would pay for the project, which ended up operating at a cost of more than $300,000 per person

Wagner, one of the state's wealthiest men, says the area will become part of a $175 million entertainment precinct.

'This is the worst decision ever made by a state government on behalf of taxpayers,' Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie told the Courier-Mail.

'The Premier has never apologised for it and she should because Queenslanders will be paying the price for this waste for a long time to come.

'It's a $500,000 a day check-out bill that could have helped Queenslanders in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.'

The anticipated 'Wellcamp Entertainment Precinct', will temporarily house agriculture staff before transforming into a private hotel.

While the facility operated as a quarantine base, the number of people entering the country that were required to use it never exceeded the number of its beds.

The 730 who did use it during its ill-fated tenure equates to a cost of more than $300,000 per person.

Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Steven Miles defended the development of the site, insisting that it aided the state's post-pandemic recovery effort.

'This supported our economic recovery and ensured the safety of Queenslanders,' Mr Miles said.

'The day before the government announced our intention to build Wellcamp, in August 2021, we had to pause interstate arrivals because all our quarantine hotels were full.

'There were 5114 people across 22 quarantine hotels at the highest point and multiple outbreaks caused by hotel leaks.'

While the camp was empty, humanitarian groups pleaded with the Premier to allow people in need, including the homeless, to stay there but were repeatedly turned down.

The Wellcamp facility will now become part of a $127 million 'Wellcamp Entertainment Precinct', currently under-development by the Wagner Corporation

The centre began construciton during Australia's peak-pandemic period but only opened in Febraury 2022 as restrictions were already easing 

The Wellcamp facility primarily took in unvaccinated tourists who needed to quarantine in accordance with Queensland's mandate international travel.

Now the project is being probed by the Queensland Auditor-General, who is working on a probe into the costs and decisions that led to the commissioning of the site.

This probe is expected to be completed within the next two months.

As Brisbane prepares for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Mr Wagner told The Courier-Mail that he hoped the precinct would become a legacy infrastructure project.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Premier Palaszczuk's office and the Wagner Corporation for comment.