ABC Digital News-Tasmania’s Police Commissioner apologises for identifying child sex abuse whistleblower

• In short: The commissioner and deputy commissioner of Tasmania Police used the last name of a child abuse whistleblower during a public hearing. 
• The whistleblower has been offered an apology, with her full name the subject of a non-publication order by the commission of inquiry into the government’s responses to child sexual abuse. 
• What’s next? In a statement, Commissioner Donna Adams claimed she believed she had been given permission to use the whistleblower’s last name – but this has also been disputed. 

Tasmania Police commissioner Donna Adams has apologised to a child sexual abuse whistleblower after she mentioned the whistleblower’s last name twice during a public hearing.

The whistleblower, known as Alysha, gave extensive evidence about the Ashley Youth Detention Centre (AYDC) to the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings.

Her full identity was the subject of a non-publication order by the commission.

Senior police were questioned during a parliamentary hearing in Hobart on Monday about whether Alysha, who worked at the centre as a clinical practice consultant, was contacted during their investigations into abuse at AYDC.

During their answers, Commissioner Adams used Alysha’s surname twice, and Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins used it once.

The committee then released a statement saying that the last name “is not to be reported publicly”.

Posting on social media, Alysha said she was shocked to hear the state’s most senior police officers refer to her last name publicly.

She said she did not want her last name disclosed “out of concern for my safety” and that of her family.

“My children’s surname … I feel sick and betrayed, in the most dangerous of ways.” 

Commissioner ‘deeply sorry’

The last name was used in the context of questioning of police by Independent upper house MP Meg Webb.

The committee is examining the progress of commission of inquiry recommendations.

Ms Webb was asking senior police about whether potential witnesses to abuse had been contacted for evidence as part of a “triple check” of case studies following the commission’s final report.

“I’m prepared to put one example on the record here, because I’ve got permission to do so,” Ms Webb said in her questioning.

“And that’s that in the case of ‘Alysha’, who we all understand to be a whistleblower from AYDC, who provided extensive evidence to the commission of inquiry, and who, in the capacity during her work, made reports of concerning situations and reports against other staff at AYDC, who have subsequently turned up as case studies in the report.”

Commissioner Adams and deputy commissioner Higgins then used Alysha’s last name in their responses.

In a statement after the hearing, Commissioner Adams said she believed Ms Webb’s questioning, and use of the term “permission”, had given them approval to use the last name.

“In asking for specific information on police engagement with the individual, the committee member referred to having permission to name the individual without any qualifications and I subsequently followed on and used the individual’s full name in my response,” Commissioner Adams said.

“I am now aware that permission was only provided to the committee member to use the individual’s first name.

“I am deeply sorry for the distress caused and I’ve immediately asked for the individual’s surname to be removed from any record of the committee hearing.”

Commissioner Adams and Deputy Commissioner Higgins told the committee that Alysha had been spoken to by police, but Alysha said this was not in the context of giving evidence about specific matters or case studies at AYDC, and she had not been asked by police to do so.

One of the case studies, referred to by the commission as Stan, allegedly sexually abused multiple children at AYDC.

Commissioner was told about name redaction, Meg Webb says

Ms Webb said she was asking questions at the request of Alysha, whose identity had been suppressed.

Ms Webb said she raised the matter when the last name was used.

“I immediately alerted the chair of the committee via a written note that the surname of the whistleblower was not to be used publicly,” Ms Webb said.

“I then observed the chair of the committee provide the same note to the minister and commissioner.