Tsunami of lawsuits strikes Victoria Police: Decorated detective who investigated female cop’s suicide says he was bullied and left with PTSD – as 70 officers lodge legal claims

Former detective Jacob Laidlaw says he was bullied and pressured to limit an investigation into the 2019 suicide of fellow Victoria Police officer Shona O’Connor. His civil claim adds to more than 70 cases being handled by one Melbourne law firm and comes amid wider scrutiny of alleged problems with the force’s treatment of women and workplace culture.

Laidlaw says he found allegations that O’Connor had been bullied and sexually harassed by senior officers, and that his attempts to pursue a senior officer were obstructed and confidential information leaked. He says he was later diagnosed with PTSD and major depressive disorder and received specialist and inpatient treatment. Victoria Police says it cannot comment on a case before the courts and has referred Laidlaw’s complaints about the investigations to IBAC for review.