A former New South Wales police officer has alleged she was drugged and raped by a senior male colleague after a work function in Sydney in 2014, prompting police to say investigators are now seeking further information.
The woman, identified by the pseudonym “Amy” because she cannot be named for legal reasons, made the allegations in an ABC Stateline report published on Tuesday morning. The officer she accused has not been publicly identified, and the allegations have not been tested in court.
Former officer describes alleged assault
Amy said she joined the NSW Police Force in the 1990s and served for about 30 years before being medically retired. She described a workplace in which female officers faced sexism and sexual harassment, particularly during the early years of her career.
According to her account, she attended a work function in Sydney in 2014 and later went to a bar with other officers. She alleged a senior male colleague insisted on buying her another drink. She said her memory then became unclear and that she later found herself in a hotel room, unable to properly move her limbs, where she alleges the man raped her.
Amy said she believed she had been drugged. She also alleged the man repeatedly called and messaged her the following day, asking whether they were “OK” and telling her not to discuss what had happened.
The account is an allegation by the former officer. No finding has been made against the accused man, who Amy said remains a serving police officer.
Why she did not seek a criminal case
Amy said she contacted a sexual assault support service the next morning and later disclosed the alleged assault to her commander and immediate supervisor. She said she was not prepared at that time to make a formal criminal complaint.
She explained that her experience handling sexual assault matters had left her with little confidence in the justice system and that she feared the effect of a public trial on her husband and teenage children. She instead sought workplace support and protection from assignments involving sexual assault cases.
Several years later, Amy said she submitted a Sexual Assault Reporting Option report. The NSW scheme allows a person to provide police with information about an alleged sexual offence without automatically beginning a formal investigation. She hoped the information would lead to internal scrutiny of the officer’s conduct.
NSW Police says investigators are engaging with complainant
In a statement reported by the ABC, NSW Police acknowledged the alleged assault was reported in 2014 and said the wishes of the alleged victim were considered at the time. The force said no further investigative action could be taken with the information then available.
Police said investigators had now spoken with the former officer, with her consent, and were working to obtain further information. They said they would continue to engage with and support her, while protecting her privacy and the integrity of any investigation.
The allegation comes after an independent review of NSW Police culture published in June found bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment at unacceptable levels. Of more than 4,500 workers surveyed, 1.1 per cent said they had been sexually assaulted by a colleague during the previous five years. The reported proportion was 2.5 per cent among female respondents and 0.3 per cent among male respondents.
Calls for safer reporting pathways
Amy said she hoped her decision to speak publicly would encourage NSW Police leaders to create safer internal reporting systems and ensure misconduct allegations were examined even when a complainant did not want to pursue criminal charges.
The case remains at the information-gathering stage described by NSW Police. There has been no public announcement of charges, and the allegations remain unproven.
Support is available from 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or Full Stop Australia on 1800 385 578.
