Police response to Jevon McSkimming shows why victims afraid to come forward - advocate

A victims' advocate says the police treatment of a woman who accused a former top cop of sexual offending is the very thing most complainants are terrified of.

A highly critical report from the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found serious misconduct at the highest levels, over how police handled allegations against former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

The claims arose from an affair between McSkimming and the woman, who at the time was a junior non-sworn police employee.

The authority said the police simply accepted McSkimming's view that she was a woman scorned and she was charged over the more than 300 harassing emails she sent.

The charge was later withdrawn.

Advocate Claire Buckley said victims feared being disbelieved and dismissed by police.

"What's the first thing that happens to this poor woman? She's not believed.

"And then take it another level, we're going to pursue her to try and protect ourselves because this is one of our cop buddies. It just screams 1980s Louise Nicholas, all over again."

Buckley said the woman had been treated appallingly, and it undermined trust in police, but she urged victims not to be deterred from speaking up.

"The only way we're ever going to get rid of the rot is if we keep pointing to it and saying, 'Look, this needs to go and the rot needs to be cut out'.

"And the only way that's going to happen is if the victims of that rot come forward."

Buckley said cases like this were not only traumatising for the person at the centre of it, but for anyone else who'd had unsatisfactory dealings with police.

She backed the appointment of an Inspector General of Police but told Morning Report there also needed to an independent organisation, away from police, for people who believe they are victims of crime to go to.

National sexual violence survivor advocate Louise Nicholas was disgusted by the police's handling of sexual offending complaints against McSkimming.

Nicholas made rape accusations against police officers in the 1980s. The detective who initially handled her complaints was convicted of a cover-up in 2007.

"I won't use the swear words I actually want to use," she said, referencing the IPCA's latest report.

"I was absolutely, saddened and disgusted to see that this has happened again."

Nicholas said the woman's first complaint should have triggered an investigation, but instead it was swept under the rug.

"This woman has disclosed this offending and has gone to the right people, but the people that should have helped her decided that their mate was actually more important."

However, she didn't want people to be discouraged from reporting sexual offences.

"You can't put it on the police that do the amazing job that they do with our survivors, you can't tar them with the same brush."

Nicholas told Nine to Noon former police commissioner Andrew Coster needed to front up for his part in the way the complaints were handled, calling it "an absolute shambles".

"They basically covered it up," Nicholas said. "It's as simple as that."

"Andy Coster has got a lot to answer for. He was a part of this, he enabled this to continue, and for whatever reason. It's only Andy Coster that can actually tell us why he did what he did."

Coster has refused to comment on the McSkimming report.

"We're grateful that those below the leadership team were starting to pick up on stuff, and started to say 'Hey, things aren't right here, we need to look into this more'," Nicholas said.

She said processes to ensure the correct handling of complaints were in place within police, but they were blocked.

"Until we hear it from the horse's mouth, we won't know why."

She said she was pleased to hear the report's recommendations were being implemented, including the creation of a new role for an Inspector-General of Police.

Nicholas said the role should be filled by an external applicant, and change needed to be done slowly and carefully.

"I'm impressed with the fact that the commissioner of today is adhering to those recommendations... but don't just tick boxes and say you've done it, prove you've done it."

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.