Torture email unmasks racist cops

Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - The public's worst fears about institutional racism within the Victorian police appeared to be confirmed yesterday by revelations that up to 100 officers are being investigated over emails that reportedly include an image of a man of ethnic minority origin being tortured.

The Chief Commissioner, Simon Overland, confirmed that a police sergeant who killed himself earlier this week, Tony Van Gorp, was about to be dismissed over his involvement in the scandal. Another sergeant, who allegedly introduced the torture image into the police computer system, is also said to be facing the sack.

The Age, which broke the story, reported that "sickening" racist comments were added to the torture email as it was circulated.

Overland said the "disturbing and gross" emails were too shocking to be released, telling the Melbourne radio station 3AW: "It's extremely serious, it's offensive, and my view is that it would cause significant concern and alarm in the community if the material was made public."

The image of the Victorian force has been battered in recent months, amid allegations that officers failed to investigate properly a spate of attacks on Indian students.

Last week a damning report by three suburban legal services concluded that African youths were being routinely targeted, verbally abused and even physically assaulted by police.

Overland - who admitted last week that there was racism within his ranks, albeit, he said, confined to a small minority of officers - said "a number of racist emails" had been discovered following an investigation by the ethical standards department.

Homophobic and pornographic material was also found in the computer system, the Herald-Sun reported.

Van Gorp, 47, a long-standing officer, resigned last Friday after being challenged to give reasons why he should not be dismissed. He then returned to his station at Healesville, in the Yarra Ranges, and shot himself.

Overland said yesterday the emails over which Van Gorp had been investigated were not racist.

The Age reported that only officers who introduced the material into the computer system would be sacked.

Those who forwarded it would be cautioned, while those who added racist comments would face "more serious internal charges".

Overland told the ABC: "There are a large number of police involved. I guess there are different degrees of seriousness, but it was quite widespread."

Responding to allegations of a "culture of racism" in the force, the commissioner said last week: "Racist attitudes held by members of Victoria Police - that is not OK. Acting on those racial attitudes is clearly not OK, and where we find it people can expect that I will deal with them in the strongest possible terms."

Overland refused to comment yesterday on whether the emails targeted Indians or Africans. But he said they raised real questions about the suitability of a number of people to serve with the Victorian force.

The latest revelations follow the announcement last week of an inquiry into racism by the director of the Office of Police Integrity, Michael Strong.

It was not clear whether the torture image was based on a real incident, or was confected.