{"id":655230,"date":"2025-03-02T14:45:23","date_gmt":"2025-03-02T11:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/when-your-domestic-violence-abuser-is-a-police-officer\/"},"modified":"2025-03-02T14:45:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T11:45:23","slug":"when-your-domestic-violence-abuser-is-a-police-officer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/when-your-domestic-violence-abuser-is-a-police-officer\/","title":{"rendered":"#When your domestic violence abuser is a police officer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4131a91d77b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4131a91d77b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/when-your-domestic-violence-abuser-is-a-police-officer\/#%E2%80%98He_knows_how_to_make_sure_that_there_is_no_evidence\" >&#8216;He knows how to make sure that there is no evidence&#8217;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/when-your-domestic-violence-abuser-is-a-police-officer\/#%E2%80%98The_people_coming_to_interview_me_are_his_colleagues\" >&#8216;The people coming to interview me are his colleagues&#8217;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/when-your-domestic-violence-abuser-is-a-police-officer\/#%E2%80%98I_can_call_the_police_now_if_I_want_and_get_you_sectioned\" >&#8216;I can call the police now if I want and get you sectioned&#8217;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/when-your-domestic-violence-abuser-is-a-police-officer\/#Calls_for_genuine_accountability_and_independence\" >Calls for genuine accountability and independence<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t by Ellen Reeves, Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Sandra Walklate, Silke Meyer, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-byline__link\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Conversation<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/domestic-violence.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/domestic-violence.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/domestic-violence.jpg\" alt=\"domestic violence\" title=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>People experiencing domestic violence are often urged to report their abuse to the police. But what if your abuser is a police officer?<\/p>\n<p>Our new <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/10778012251319761\" target=\"_blank\">research<\/a>, drawing on 17 interviews with victim-survivors from two studies and published in the journal <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/10778012251319761\" target=\"_blank\">Violence Against Women<\/a>, examined the challenges faced by victim-survivors in this situation.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98He_knows_how_to_make_sure_that_there_is_no_evidence\"><\/span>&#8216;He knows how to make sure that there is no evidence&#8217;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Victim-survivors told us their abusers often initially used their police role to project a &#8220;safe&#8221; image. Later, however, many perpetrators were able to draw on their police training and skills in control, surveillance and investigation to abuse and entrap their partners. One interviewee said, &#8220;He is a state-funded, trained master manipulator.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Police also have access to weapons, and, importantly, knowledge about how domestic violence evidence is collected. One interviewee said, &#8220;They&#8217;re doing things that they believe they can get away with or that they know they can get away with [\u2026] Police offenders are smarter than that and they&#8217;re looking for these little insidious ways to skirt the system.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>One person who experienced coercive control from her police officer father-in-law said, &#8220;He knows how to make sure that there is no evidence.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98The_people_coming_to_interview_me_are_his_colleagues\"><\/span>&#8216;The people coming to interview me are his colleagues&#8217;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Victim-survivors told us they faced many barriers when seeking help.<\/p>\n<p>Some victim-survivors had moved away from family and friends for the perpetrator&#8217;s job and only <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a>ized with other &#8220;police families,&#8221; leaving them isolated.<\/p>\n<p>One person said her perpetrator &#8220;used to bitch about DVs, like just how it&#8217;s that victim&#8217;s moment of 15 \u2005minutes of fame, a moment of attention.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This made some victim-survivors reluctant to report abuse.<\/p>\n<p>When they did report abuse, many encountered police reluctance or refusal to take action against &#8220;one of their own.&#8221; One person said, &#8220;I tried to report his stalking to the local police station. The moment I mentioned the name, I was pretty much told to get the fuck out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Other victim-survivors we interviewed said, &#8220;I had to report at the police station where he works, where everybody knows everybody [\u2026] So the people coming to interview me are his colleagues [\u2026] You can&#8217;t trust them, you don&#8217;t feel safe, and even the police stations nearby, it&#8217;s still regional and they still work with each other. They just had a chat to him and he went, &#8216;No, that didn&#8217;t h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>en&#8217; and then that was it. He just got more and more and more empowered.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Some victim-survivors in our study felt no amount of evidence was sufficient to see the perpetrator charged or convicted. One told us: &#8220;Every time I spoke to a solicitor, they&#8217;d say, &#8216;Oh, well. You&#8217;ll have such a\u2014you&#8217;ll have a far higher threshold to prove anything because he&#8217;s a police officer, and magistrates don&#8217;t like giving orders against police officers because they get made non-operational.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, the police perpetrator had the victim-survivor arrested or subjected to a domestic violence intervention order.<\/p>\n<p>One victim-survivor recounted: &#8220;He&#8217;d wake you up all night, he&#8217;d break in, he&#8217;d destroy property, intimidation. He did do an assault but it wasn&#8217;t an assault\u2014it didn&#8217;t leave a mark, but then he said that I had dug my fingernails into his hand and that&#8217;s what I was charged on the basis of. Minor, minor injury that I actually saw him do [\u2026] So I ended up with assault occasioning an actual bodily harm over that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98I_can_call_the_police_now_if_I_want_and_get_you_sectioned\"><\/span>&#8216;I can call the police now if I want and get you sectioned&#8217;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some interviewees told us police officers can use police databases to get information (such as location) about the victim-survivor.<\/p>\n<p>In one case, a fellow police officer drove the perpetrator to the victim-survivor&#8217;s &#8220;secure&#8221; location.<\/p>\n<p>Police perpetrators can also draw on their knowledge and connection with broader formal institutions. One interviewee told us: &#8220;He was convincing me that I had a mental health issue. He&#8217;d get me to a point where I&#8217;d be sobbing because he&#8217;d tell me everything that was wrong with me and berate me and then say, &#8220;I can call the police now if I want and get you sectioned and you have to go to a [mental health facility] for the night.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Many interviewees expressed frustration that family violence cases where the perpetrator was a police officer are often not referred to Professional Standards Command, an internal police oversight body operating in most state and territory police forces.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Calls_for_genuine_accountability_and_independence\"><\/span>Calls for genuine accountability and independence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many victim-survivors interviewed said police perpetrators were not\u2014in their experience\u2014likely to be held accountable. One told us: &#8220;Police sought [an intervention order] for my protection and this was granted for 12 months. He has his weapon taken from him, then returned two weeks later.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Another said, &#8220;He didn&#8217;t get sacked, they let him resign [\u2026] and now he&#8217;s on a nice cushy pension for the rest of his life.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Another participant said her perpetrator was simply moved to another location.<\/p>\n<p>Cases were often handed back and forth between different police stations, Professional Standards Command, and other independent or semi-independent police bodies. There was often no transparency in how decisions were made and little\u2014if any\u2014communication with the victim-survivor about the progression of their case.<\/p>\n<p>Legal or professional repercussions were rare and minimal. They also often failed to stop the abuse, and allowed the perpetrator to keep their job.<\/p>\n<p>Some state and territory police forces, including <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.police.vic.gov.au\/reporting-family-violence-or-sexual-offences-perpetrated-victoria-police-employee\" target=\"_blank\">Victoria Police<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.police.tas.gov.au\/what-we-do\/family-and-sexual-violence\/family-and-sexual-violence-involving-police\/#:~:text=Family%20and%20Sexual%20Violence%20Involving%20Police%20Policy,-Developed%20by%20Tasmania&amp;text=This%20Policy%20aims%20to%20promote,in%20accordance%20with%20the%20law.\" target=\"_blank\">Tasmania Police<\/a>, now have specific police officer-involved domestic violence policies.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Professional Standards Command in Victoria has a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.police.vic.gov.au\/reporting-family-violence-or-sexual-offences-perpetrated-victoria-police-employee\" target=\"_blank\">Sexual Offenses and Family Violence Unit<\/a> to investigate allegations that involve Victoria Police employees accused of family violence, sexual assault, serious sexual harassment and predatory behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Victim-survivors welcomed this but expressed concern these new dedicated teams may remain vulnerable to the &#8220;boy&#8217;s club mentality&#8221; and information leaks.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, broader police responses to gender-based violence cannot improve while a problematic police culture persists.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEllen Reeves et al, &#8220;The Fact That He Was a Police Officer Was Probably My Number 1 Challenge&#8221;: Victim-Survivor Experiences of Officer-Involved Domestic Violence in Australia, <i>Violence Against Women<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1177\/10778012251319761\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.1177\/10778012251319761<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Conversation<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/he-knows-how-to-make-sure-that-there-is-no-evidence-when-your-domestic-violence-abuser-is-a-police-officer-250754\" target=\"_blank\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/250754\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&#8216;He knows how to make sure that there is no evidence&#8217;: When your domestic violence abuser is a police officer (2025, March 2)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 2 March 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-02-evidence-domestic-violence-abuser-police.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-02-evidence-domestic-violence-abuser-police.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Ellen Reeves, Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Sandra Walklate, Silke Meyer, The Conversation Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain People experiencing domestic violence are often urged to report their abuse to the police. But what if your abuser is a police officer? Our new research, drawing on 17 interviews with victim-survivors from two studies and published in the journal&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":655231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/domestic-violence.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-655230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=655230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/655231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=655230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=655230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=655230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}