Victoria Police complaint failures expose toxic workplace culture

Content warning: This article discusses workplace bullying, sexual harassment, and suicide. 

A Four Corners investigation published by the ABC on 9 November 2026 examines a toxic workplace culture at Victoria Police. It details allegations of bullying, sexual harassment, and complaint mismanagement at Melton Police Station. The HR lessons it brings out apply to any organisation.

The report centres on Shona O’Connor, a Victoria Police sergeant with more than two decades of service. She died by suicide in November 2019 at the age of 43. Those closest to her say broader cultural failures contributed to her death.

A Victorian Coroner data analysis cited by Four Corners found 35 suicides of Victoria Police employees between 2009 and August 2024. More than 70% had work-related stressors connected to their deaths. The coroner identified bullying as the dominant recurring issue.

What happens when toxic workplace culture goes unchallenged?

O’Connor made complaints about sexually harassing comments, but those complaints were ignored. She reportedly made a separate bullying complaint later. According to the report, neither was adequately investigated or escalated.

The coroner’s finding concluded there was no evidence O’Connor had been bullied or harassed at work. Detective Jacob Laidlaw, who investigated her death, challenged that conclusion. He argued key materials had not been provided to the coroner.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush acknowledged in a Four Corners interview that key material should have gone to the coroner and didn’t. He conceded the culture at Melton had been “unacceptable.”

For HR professionals, the structural failure here is familiar. Complaints do not travel far enough up the chain. Supervisors are poorly equipped, or poorly motivated, to act. Cases are closed before all the facts are in.

What should HR leaders do when a toxic workplace culture complaint is made?

HR leaders must ensure complaint processes work even when those handling them have a conflict of interest. That means three things:

1. Independent investigation pathways: Where a complaint involves a direct supervisor, an independent process must be available. That means either a separate internal HR function or an external third party. The Melton investigation took place within a structure where key personnel had existing ties to the subject of the complaint.

2. Clear record-keeping: Key materials were left out of the coronial brief. These included a bullying complaint made directly to a local area commander. The lesson here? HR must maintain complete records of every complaint, not just those that proceed to formal action.

3. Genuine psychological safety: O’Connor’s family told Four Corners she believed her complaint would go nowhere. If employees do not trust that their organisation will act, they will not report. Psychological safety – the confidence that speaking up will not result in retaliation – is a precondition for any effective complaints culture.

The obligation on senior leaders

Chief Commissioner Bush told Four Corners: “Our leaders have got to really understand their people, and if they see any behaviour that’s inappropriate, things like that, they have to nip it in the bud, make people accountable for that kind of behaviour.”

The Sex Discrimination Act 1984, as amended by the Respect at Work Act 2022, introduced a positive duty on employers. This means employers must now take proactive steps to prevent harassment; responding after the fact is no longer sufficient.

Employers can be held liable under Australian work health and safety legislation for allowing a toxic workplace culture to persist, including where psychosocial hazards go unaddressed.

Toxic workplace culture is not self-correcting. It requires active, accountable HR leadership to dismantle and the systems to back that up.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.