On Monday 1 June 2026, ABC Four Corners aired Brutal Force, a landmark investigative journalism program examining NSW Police Misconduct. Our Principal Solicitor, Peter O’Brien, appeared as a key expert voice in the program, speaking to the failures of the current police complaint system and the human cost of misconduct that goes unchecked.
Four Corners is Australia’s longest-running and most respected investigative journalism program. Being called upon to contribute expert commentary reflects our firm’s standing as one of Australia’s leading practices in the pursuit of justice against police misconduct.
What The Program Exposed
Brutal Force presented confronting body-worn video, CCTV and mobile phone footage showing NSW Police officers using excessive force against vulnerable people. This included a man unlawfully arrested and kneed repeatedly in custody, and a mentally ill woman alone on a street who was kicked, stomped on, and pepper sprayed on her genitals. The officers involved laughed during the attack.
The investigation revealed that over the past five years, internal NSW Police investigations found approximately 1,000 findings of misconduct per year, yet only 2% of those cases led to charges against an officer. NSW Police is now the national leader in civil payouts, paying out $40 million last financial year alone, with approximately 478 civil suits filed in the same period.
The program also highlighted the failure to mandate body-worn camera use in NSW, the only state where it is not compulsory for officers to activate their cameras when exercising police powers — and cases where officers have disposed of cameras to cover up misconduct.
Peter O’Brien Speaks Out On A Broken System:
NSW Police Misconduct
Peter O’Brien has launched hundreds of cases against NSW Police for alleged assault and misconduct over more than two decades in practice. On Four Corners, he spoke candidly about what his work has exposed:
“The impact of police investigations of police misconduct is woefully inadequate. A court might find serious misconduct has happened. In the same instance the complaint process has exonerated the police misbehaviour.”
Peter also addressed the problem of secret settlements, a system that can compensate individual victims while leaving the broader public in the dark about what their police force is doing:
“Whilst the plaintiff might get compensated for what happened adequately, the flip side is that what is actually happening out there can go largely unspoken and unknown. The possibility of repeat or recidivist police officers conducting themselves badly, poorly, or unlawfully, or with brutality, is an ongoing problem that can be perpetuated by that system.”
In our experience pursuing these claims, the same officers appear again and again in statements of claim. Confidential settlements, while providing relief to individual victims, can enable a cycle of misconduct to continue unchecked.
Representing Samantha Testalamuta Against NSW Police Misconduct
Our firm is currently representing Samantha Testalamuta, a proud Wiradjuri woman living with bipolar disorder, whose case was featured in the Four Corners investigation. Samantha was allegedly assaulted by NSW Police officers who were responding to a noise complaint at her home in January last year.
Watch Brutal Force On Four Corners
The full Four Corners episode is available to watch now on ABC iview:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-01/brutal-force-four-corners/106746408
Our Work Pursuing Claims Against Police: NSW Police Misconduct
O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors has been at the forefront of civil claims against police in NSW and across Australia for more than twenty years. We represent clients who have experienced unlawful arrest, false imprisonment, assault in custody, and excessive force, many of whom are among the most vulnerable members of our community, including people living with mental illness, First Nations Australians, and young people.
Our work in this area is guided by a simple principle: the law applies equally to everyone, including those who enforce it. When police abuse their power, they must be held accountable, not just through internal processes that too often exonerate their own, but through the civil courts, where evidence is tested and outcomes are transparent.
We offer no win, no fee arrangements in eligible police misconduct matters. If you or someone you know has been the victim of alleged police assault, unlawful arrest, or excessive force, we encourage you to seek legal advice as early as possible.
If you have been the victim of alleged police misconduct, our experienced civil law team is here to help. Contact O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors for a free, confidential initial consultation.
Phone: 02 9261 4281 or email
