Corruption investigations have revealed that NSW Police officers engaged in horrifically misogynistic conversations and jokes about fake charges in a Whatsapp group.
The revelations have led to two officers being sacked and the messaging app being banned across the entire force.
The conversation dates back to 2017, where one officer shared a photo of a woman who he had been out with the night before.
One officer commented “she’d be worth the rape charge” while female Constable Jordan Crotty wrote “chick (sic) who post stuff like that are gagging for anything”.
The officer replied that he didn’t “f**k her” because she was blind drunk and a childhood friend.
“Doesn’t matter if drunk she will want it,” Constable Crotty replied.
A group of at least nine general duties police officers from Botany Bay Local Area Command engaged in the group chat in 2017.
“Loading him up” & wrongly charged
Discussions also rose about how a man was “loaded up” and wrongly charged. That man is Erhan Sevgin, who spend seven months in jail after being charged in Mascot and is now suing NSW Police.
Constable Crotty told the Whatsapp group that the “c**t got pumped” but the statement of facts tendered in court stated that Sevgin rammed her with his bike.
Constable Calvin Dunne asked: “Did he ask for his phone and watch back?”
Constable Crotty replied: “C**t wouldn’t dare today.”
Asked what she charged him with, Constable Crotty said six offences, including:
- malicious damage,
- use offensive weapon to avoid apprehension,
- destroy or damage property
- and stolen goods in custody.
Constable Crotty and others then joked how it was a “load-up” — a reference to police laying an excessive number of charges on someone.
“Massive load up haha,” Constable Crotty said.
According to documents tendered in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC), Sevgin was actually charged with 24 offences and was convicted on all.
This information came to light before Sevgin was convicted and raised serious doubt over the legitimacy of the charges. Yet the police prosecution proceeded with the case against Sevgin.
It wasn’t until the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) stepped in that the police prosecutors handed the WhatsApp material to Sevgin’s defence solicitor.
Sevgin appealed and the convictions were quashed.
:contactOBSCivil:
Sarah is a civil solicitor who primarily practices in defamation, intentional torts against police, privacy and harassment.
