Horrific crimes by police against naked, mentally unwell woman will be repeated without action from the Premier and Police Minister
Greens MP Sue Higginson has renewed calls for reform of NSW Police after two police officers pleaded guilty to assaulting, capsicum spraying and kicking a naked, mentally unwell 48-year-old woman in Western Sydney.
Last year, the NSW Government noted but refused to implement a recommendation from the Greens-led inquiry into Equity, accessibility and appropriate delivery of outpatient and community mental health care in New South Wales, which called for the improvement of mandatory comprehensive mental health training currently provided to police officers in consultation with consumers and carers.
Greens MP and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said “This case is horrifying and involved police officers taunting a naked and mentally ill woman and bragging about violently assaulting her to their friends. What will it take for the Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley to accept that there is a serious cultural problem within the NSW police,
A mentally ill woman has been assaulted because NSW police stubbornly continue to send police officers to attend to mental health crises. It is clear from this incident that police are continuing to endanger the community when they are called to respond to people experiencing mental health issues.
We know that misogyny, racism, victim-blaming and bigotry is rife throughout the NSW Police force and it’s violating the people the state should be protecting. The people of NSW should not have to wait for the outcome of the current cultural review that is underway for the Government to act to change toxic police culture.
The Greens-led mental health inquiry made clear recommendations to the NSW government for police reform and investment in mental health supports. If the government fails to implement these recommendations, cases like these will only become more frequent.
If the Premier and the Police Minister do not act to ensure mental health professionals attend mental health crises, rather than police, we will see this happen all over again and the blame will squarely be at the feet of NSW Labor.
Communities are in danger precisely because of Labor’s failure to invest in evidence-based supports for mental health and their failure to confront cultural problems within the NSW police.”