Police Mistreatment of Women with C-PTSD

Multiple studies and official reports have documented how police in Australia have

mishandled cases involving women survivors of trauma. The Victorian Royal Commission

into Family Violence (2016), for example, noted that Victoria Police were misidentifying

women as primary aggressors in some domestic violence incidents . This means some

genuine victims (often women who fought back in self-defense) were wrongly treated as

perpetrators, undermining their safety. Research by Monash University found factors like a

woman’s use of self-defense, trauma-related behaviors (e.g. aggression from fear), mental

illness, or cultural background can bias officers’ perceptions. Such characteristics may not

fit what some police expect a “real” victim to behave like, leading them to assume the woman

must be the offender . These systemic mistakes can deny victims access to protection and

support, and allow abusers to manipulate the system (sometimes called “systems abuse”) .

Independent reviews also reveal widespread police failures in responding to domestic and

sexual violence. Australia’s Law Reform Commission (ALRC) in 2025 reported that

“overwhelmingly, people who have experienced sexual violence do not engage with the

justice system” due to fear and lack of trust . According to the ALRC’s final report, fewer than

1 in 10 incidents of sexual violence are reported to police, and in some jurisdictions 75–85%

of reports to police never lead to any charges . The report noted common reasons for not

reporting included a belief police would not help and fear of being re-traumatised by having

to recount their abuse . Such findings echo broader research that high rates of sexual

assault complaints are dismissed as “unfounded,” suggesting dismissing women’s reports

has become a disturbingly common practice in policing . Survivors who do come forward

often describe insensitive or hostile treatment – one study found women who reported

sexual assaults to police were met with “insensitivity, blaming questions, lack of

investigation, and lack of follow-up”, leaving them feeling disbelieved by the very institutions

meant to protect them .

Cases and Legal Actions Exposing Police Failures

Specific cases and legal actions have highlighted these police failures in stark terms. In

Victoria, a landmark lawsuit by a domestic violence victim, Tara Smith, is testing whether

3police can be held negligent for not protecting abuse survivors. In that case, the Supreme

Court of Victoria ruled that Smith and her children could sue police for allegedly failing to

enforce multiple protection orders against her violent ex-partner . Smith endured years of

stalking and assaults despite having four intervention orders in place – she claims officers

knew about the repeated breaches but did little to intervene, resulting in continued harm to

her family . The court accepted it was at least arguable that police owe a duty of care to

specific domestic violence victims to protect them from preventable harm . Advocacy groups

note this is a crucial precedent, since police ignoring mandatory family violence protocols

can have tragic outcomes . Indeed, every year over 100,000 Australians obtain domestic

violence orders, and if breaches aren’t taken seriously by police, victims remain in danger .

Coronial inquests have also exposed deadly consequences of police missteps. In Queensland,

the inquest into the 2020 murder of Hannah Clarke and her children by her estranged

husband revealed gaps in police training about coercive control, prompting

recommendations for better officer education . And in the Northern Territory, a 2024

coroner’s inquest examined the deaths of four Aboriginal women at the hands of partners –

it identified systemic failings in the police response and a “need for urgent widespread

reform” in how authorities handle domestic violence . In some of those cases, officers had

multiple prior contacts with the victims and perpetrators but failed to adequately assess the

risk or enforce protections. Tragically, lackluster police action can end with lives lost; for

example, the death of Ms Dhu, a 22-year-old Yamatji woman, in Western Australia became

emblematic of catastrophic neglect. Ms Dhu died in police custody in 2014 from untreated

injuries after officers dismissed her pleas for medical help – her case was described as “the

latest in a long history of deaths and mistreatment of Aboriginal people in police custody in

Australia” . These legal battles and inquests serve as stark testimony to how police

misconduct or inaction have harmed traumatised women, galvanizing calls for

accountability.

Impact on Survivors of Domestic Violence

For women with histories of domestic abuse, encounters with police can be a double-edged

sword – a potential lifeline that sometimes turns into another source of trauma. Studies

have found that many victim-survivors avoid calling police for help unless absolutely

necessary, due to past negative experiences or fear of not being believed . When police do

intervene, the response is inconsistent. There are dedicated officers and units (like

specialized domestic violence teams) that provide compassionate, trauma-informed support,

4but many survivors report treatment that falls short of this ideal. Common complaints

include officers trivializing the abuse or questioning the victim’s credibility. The Victorian

royal commission noted instances of police skepticism or impatience, especially if a woman

had returned to her abuser or showed anger at the scene . Such reactions fail to recognize

the complex trauma and fear controlling a victim’s behavior. In the worst cases, women

reporting violent partners have been arrested or misidentified as the aggressor themselves

– a miscarriage of justice that can discourage them from ever seeking help again . Advocacy

organizations and legal services regularly encounter women who were issued counter-

intervention orders or charges after trying to defend themselves in a violent incident . This

not only denies the true victim protection, but can also leave her with criminal records or

risk of losing child custody . The overall effect is deeply damaging: women with a history of

domestic trauma may come away from police interactions feeling humiliated, unsafe, and

betrayed by a system that was supposed to protect them. It underscores why trauma-

informed policing – where officers understand dynamics like fear, coercive control, and

victim responses – is so critical in family violence situations.

Impact on Survivors of Sexual Assault

Women who have survived sexual assault or rape face similar, if not greater, challenges

when dealing with law enforcement. The vast majority never go to the police at all – surveys

show roughly 90% of women do not report their most recent sexual assault to authorities .

Their reasons are telling: many fear they won’t be believed, or worry about the invasive,

traumatic process of an investigation and trial . Unfortunately, those who do report often

find their fears validated by poor treatment. Numerous inquiries have found that police

investigations of sexual violence have high “attrition” rates – meaning cases drop out of the

justice system at alarming levels. In New South Wales, for example, police data revealed no

legal action was taken in 85% of reported sexual assault incidents, largely due to cases being

closed during the investigation stage . This indicates that most survivors see their cases end

with no charges, let alone convictions. Behind these statistics are personal stories of

frustration: survivors describe officers who were apathetic or skeptical, and felt more like

they were on trial than their assailants. A qualitative study of women whose rape reports

were dismissed as “unfounded” found that police often responded with blame and disbelief,

asking accusatory questions or focusing on the victim’s behavior (such as drinking) rather

than the accused’s actions . Such responses compound the original trauma – one survivor

said “I was hopeful police would help… Instead, I was met with insensitivity and no follow-

up”, illustrating how being dismissed by authorities inflicts a profound secondary wound .

5The systemic nature of these failures has prompted reforms: police services are being

pushed to adopt victim-centric, trauma-informed training, and initiatives like specialist

sexual assault units aim to improve how survivors are treated. Still, advocacy groups and

government reviews agree there is much work to be done to rebuild survivors’ trust and

ensure that reporting a sexual crime does not become another source of trauma .

Women with Mental Health Trauma and Police Encounters

Women with mental health challenges – including those dealing with PTSD, anxiety, or other

trauma-related conditions – often have fraught interactions with police as well. When a

woman is in mental distress or a psychiatric crisis, police are frequently the first responders

in Australia. Unfortunately, standard police tactics can escalate rather than calm these

situations. A recent co-designed study with lived-experience participants found that women

in mental health crises were “more often than not” harmed by the police response rather

than helped . Participants in the study recounted being met with intimidation and force:

many had been handcuffed and put in the paddy wagon (“divvy van”), capsicum-sprayed at

close range, hit with batons, or even tasered during what was essentially a health

emergency . One woman described, “I was having an anxiety attack and they pepper sprayed

me… I had bruises all over my hands from how roughly they cuffed me” . Another recalled

cowering and pleading “please don’t kill me,” terrified that officers would mistreat her as

they had others in her community . Such heavy-handed responses leave lasting scars.

Women report feelings of shame, humiliation and fear for their life during these encounters,

and afterward many develop an intense distrust of law enforcement and even of medical

services (since police often transport them to hospitals) . Mental health advocates point out

that these outcomes reflect a lack of training and resources – police officers are not mental

health professionals, yet they’re making snap judgments about someone’s condition and can

detain them under various state Mental Health Acts . Without de-escalation training and

alternatives to police-only response (like specialized crisis teams), vulnerable women in

crisis can end up further traumatised by the very people meant to ensure their safety.

Recent inquiries (such as in New South Wales) have recommended closer partnerships

between police and mental health services, to prevent what one report called the “lethal

threat” posed when armed officers serve as first responders to mental health emergencies .

The goal is to shift from a force-oriented approach to a care-oriented approach, so that

women in trauma get compassion and medical aid instead of handcuffs and pepper spray.

6Indigenous Women’s Experiences with Law Enforcement

Indigenous Australian women face some of the most acute and tragic patterns of police

mistreatment, compounded by racism and the legacy of colonialism. Studies indicate

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience violence at vastly higher rates

than non-Indigenous women, yet are often less likely to seek help from police due to

historical mistrust and fear of discrimination. Research led by UNSW Law on domestic

violence fatalities found that most First Nations women killed by a partner had prior police

contact related to domestic violence, but those interactions were “frequently harmful”

rather than protective . In many cases, officers failed to respond vigorously to the woman’s

abuse reports or enforce orders, effectively leaving her vulnerable. Even worse, some

policing actions actively hurt these women: the study noted that police sometimes

criminalised the victim instead of the perpetrator, enhancing surveillance of her and

eroding her autonomy . Alarmingly, almost one-third of the Indigenous women who were

later killed had been previously recorded by police as domestic violence offenders

themselves . This often stemmed from incidents where women fought back or were falsely

portrayed as aggressors. The UNSW research found officers were prone to label Indigenous

women “uncooperative” or “unwilling to engage,” and used that as a justification for not

providing them assistance or protection . Such characterizations ignore the very real

reasons an Indigenous survivor might hesitate – fear of her abuser, or fear of the police

given past negative encounters – and instead place blame on her. This cycle has led to

devastating outcomes.

Indigenous advocates and inquiries have spotlighted how systemic bias in policing puts

Aboriginal women in a deadly bind. The Northern Territory coroner, in examining multiple

Indigenous women’s violent deaths, concluded in 2024 that the official response to their

pleas was gravely inadequate, highlighting systemic failings by police alongside Australia’s

highest rates of domestic violence in the NT . Family members testified that these women

often didn’t receive the same urgency or empathy that other victims might. In some

instances, cries for help were ignored until it was too late. Beyond domestic violence,

Indigenous women are over-represented in the criminal justice system as offenders – often

for minor charges – which further erodes trust. When someone like Ms Dhu dies in custody

due to neglect, it reinforces a terrifying message in Aboriginal communities that

interacting with police can be life-threatening for women. As one analysis put it, Ms Dhu’s

case was not an isolated incident but part of a “long history of … mistreatment of Aboriginal

people in police custody in Australia” . Indigenous women with trauma thus carry a double

7burden: surviving violence or abuse, and then facing a law enforcement system that may

treat them with suspicion or indifference. Culturally safe and trauma-informed policing,

along with Indigenous-led support services, have been widely called for to address this crisis.

Programs that build relationships between police and Indigenous women (through

community liaison officers, for example) and efforts to eliminate racist practices are crucial

steps identified by various inquiries. The aim must be to ensure that Indigenous women can

seek help without fear – that reporting violence leads to protection and justice, not further

harm or criminalisation.

Testimonies and Calls for Reform

The systemic mistreatment of trauma-affected women by police has given rise to a chorus of

testimonies and advocacy calling for reform. Women’s legal services, domestic violence

advocates, Indigenous community leaders, and mental health organizations have all raised

the alarm, often in official forums. Government inquiries have heard harrowing stories:

parliamentary committees and royal commissions have been told of survivors being

laughed at by officers, or discouraged from pursuing charges. Advocacy groups like Women’s

Legal Services NSW and Djirra (an Aboriginal family violence service) have submitted

evidence about these patterns, reinforcing that what might seem like isolated bad incidents

are actually symptoms of broader cultural problems in policing. The good news is that these

voices are prompting changes. In response to mounting evidence, police forces in several

states have begun implementing trauma-informed training focusing on domestic and

sexual violence. For instance, Queensland Police now require specialist domestic violence

training that emphasizes victim-centric, culturally aware approaches . Independent

oversight bodies are also being strengthened – agencies like Professional Standards or anti-

corruption commissions have started reviewing police handling of sexual assault

complaints and internal misconduct toward female victims. Moreover, legal precedents like

the Tara Smith case send a powerful message that police departments could be held legally

accountable if they egregiously fail to protect those most at risk .

Importantly, survivor testimonies are shaping these reforms. Women with lived experience

of police mistreatment are speaking out in media and inquiries, turning their painful

stories into a catalyst for change. Their accounts – whether of being disbelieved after a rape,

or being a domestic violence victim treated as an offender, or a mental health call-out met

with brute force – underscore the urgent need for systemic change. The momentum is

growing: the ALRC’s 2025 report recommended sweeping changes to make the justice

8system “safe, informed, [and] supported” for sexual violence survivors , and national

standards for police handling of family violence are being developed. While entrenched

cultures take time to shift, these combined efforts by government, academia, and

community advocates are aimed at ensuring that women who have endured trauma are met

with professionalism, empathy, and justice – not further harm – when they turn to the police

for help.

Sources:

• Royal Commission into Family Violence (Vic) – findings on police misidentification of

victims

• Monash University research on system abuse and misidentified “perpetrators”

• Australian Law Reform Commission, “Safe, Informed, Supported: Reforming Justice

Responses to Sexual Violence” (2025) – statistics on under-reporting and case attrition

• NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research – Attrition of sexual assaults study (2024)

• Murphy-Oikonen et al. (2022) – “Unfounded Sexual Assault: Women’s Experiences of Not

Being Believed by the Police”

• Police Accountability Project – Smith v. State of Victoria negligence case summary

• UNSW study by Buxton-Namisnyk (2021) on policing of First Nations women

• Coroners Court of NT – Inquest into deaths of Yunupiŋu, Ragurrk, Rubuntja, Haywood

(2024)

• VMIAC/La Trobe University – “Police Apprehension as a Response to Mental Distress”

report (2022)

• Media/Public accounts of police failures: e.g. Ms Dhu death in custody (2014) , BOCSAR &

Guardian reports on sexual assault prosecutions , etc.