Police “failed” woman who alleged sexual offending by McSkimming

Report from RNZ by Sam Sherwood
A lawyer for the woman who accused former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming of sexual offending says police failed his client by dismissing her complaints and ultimately prosecuting her for speaking out.

The complaints arose from an affair between McSkimming and the woman who was a junior non-sworn police employee. McSkimming was 42 at the time, and the woman was about 20 years younger.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police including former Commissioner Andrew Coster in relation to how police responded to her claims.

An internal report in February 2024 identified that emails sent by the woman raised potential criminal and Police Code of Conduct concerns relating to McSkimming and recommended referring them to the National Integrity Unit and IPCA with a view to possible investigation.

But this didn’t happen. Instead the only investigation focused on potential offences by the woman under the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

The woman was charged in May last year with causing harm by posting digital communication in relation to over 300 emails sent to McSkimming’s work email address between December 2023 and April 2024. The emails included abusive and derogatory language directed towards McSkimming and other people.

The charge against the woman was withdrawn in the Wellington District Court in September because McSkimming did not wish to give evidence.

However, a suppression order on McSkimming’s identity as a complainant remained until it was lifted today.

In a statement to RNZ, the woman’s lawyer Steven Lack, said police “failed my client”.

“Over a period of years, she attempted to report allegations of serious physical, psychological and sexual offending by Mr McSkimming, then one of the most senior Police Officers in the country. Instead of being heard, she was dismissed and ultimately prosecuted for speaking out and raising her concerns.

“At every stage, the Police had the opportunity to engage with her, to properly assess what she was saying, and to investigate her allegations. They could have viewed her as a traumatised victim. They chose not to. They accepted Mr McSkimming’s denials without meaningful inquiry and placed the full weight of the criminal justice system on my client for more than a year until the charge against her was withdrawn. Understandably this has had a devastating impact on her.

“The way her complaints were handled should alarm all New Zealanders. It suggests that the Police were more focused on protecting Mr McSkimming’s career and advancement than on properly assessing serious allegations of offending against him.”

Lack said the police were an organisation “entrusted by the community to protect and serve”.

“In my client’s case, they did neither.