People abused by police officers have no safe way to report it, victim advocates have told a parliamentary inquiry.
Four community groups gave evidence on Friday to the inquiry into how Tasmania Police handles misconduct allegations against its own officers.
All called for an independent pathway for reporting and investigating complaints that does not involve police.
Tasmania Police partly agrees. In its submission, it backed giving the Integrity Commission more powers and resources to independently investigate family and sexual violence allegations against officers.
But the commission says criminal investigations of those cases fall outside its remit.
In its own submission, it said that role “would require a separately designed, legislated and comprehensively resourced model”.
The commission said it could oversee how police handle such cases and investigate related misconduct, but only with more resources.
Nicole Asquith, from the Tasmanian Family and Sexual Violence Alliance, told the inquiry investigations may need to be handled outside the state.
The inquiry follows the case of former senior sergeant Paul Reynolds.
Regina Weiss’s review found he groomed up to 52 boys over 30 years, some of whom were sexually abused.
Reynolds took his own life in 2018 while under investigation and was given a police funeral with an honour guard.
Asquith said there had been “very little action” on the review’s five recommendations.
“They have not been communicated with to say why the delays are occurring, what’s happening,” she said of Reynolds’ victims.
Police say one recommendation, a dedicated victim management team, is being delivered through the ARCH sexual assault centres.
Laurel House, an ARCH partner, said it had received no extra funding, training or resources for that role.
Its advocacy manager, Kaity Graham, said the officers who interview victims of police misconduct at ARCH come from professional standards.
She said victims fear “the person behind the front desk is best mates with the person that you’d like to report”.
Laurel House policy officer Elise Whitmore said some victims were told to lodge Right to Information requests to learn what happened to their own complaints. She called this “abhorrent”.
Engender Equality chief executive Alina Thomas said police had asked the service to prioritise women abused by officers.
About 250 women in southern Tasmania wait more than three years for the service’s counselling.
Asquith said she had not seen evidence that funeral rules had changed.
“I haven’t seen evidence of it, but I have faith in the commissioner based on her response since,” she said.
Police say the manual was changed in October 2023. The commissioner must now “consider any current or relevant professional standards or conduct matters relating to the deceased member”.
Commissioner Donna Adams has said the Reynolds funeral was wrong and apologised.
COTA Tasmania chief executive Brigid Wilkinson said older Tasmanians face extra barriers to reporting, especially in small communities where the local officer is well known.
Despite the criticism, Asquith said Tasmania Police was among the best she had worked with in 30 years.
In its submission, Tasmania Police said the Reynolds matter “exposed significant concerns regarding historical reporting, investigation, escalation and decision-making processes”.
The committee, chaired by Labor MP Ella Haddad, will hold more hearings. It is unlikely to report before the end of the year.
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