A senior police officer has described the team that investigates sexual assault reports in the ACT as "a training ground for budding detectives", admitting barely any of them have been specially trained.
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Detective Superintendent Scott Moller revealed his concerns about inexperience within ACT Policing's sexual assault and child abuse team on Wednesday, when he gave evidence at an inquiry into how authorities handled the case of Bruce Lehrmann.
Mr Lehrmann stood trial in the ACT Supreme Court last year, having denied allegations he raped fellow former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in 2019.
The charge levelled at Mr Lehrmann was discontinued after juror misconduct caused a mistrial.
Detective Superintendent Moller revealed on Wednesday the police sexual assault team was mainly comprised of "very young, inexperienced officers" who were largely "learning on the job".
He told the inquiry while "we in the management sphere" were proud to see young detectives learning their trade before moving on to other areas of the Australian Federal Police, the lack of experience within the team placed pressure on senior officers.
The experienced investigator said attrition and "less than ideal recruitment" had resulted in the ranks being "depleted" to a point where junior officers were running investigations with minimal supervision.
He acknowledged that, of the roughly 27 members of the sexual assault and child abuse team, only four had done the Australian Federal Police detective training program.
Even fewer had completed specialist sexual assault investigation training, Detective Superintendent Moller said.
Under cross-examination by Peggy Dwyer, counsel for Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates, he admitted there was "absolutely room for improvement" in the police response to sexual assault claims.
Higgins may have felt 'scolded'
Also on Wednesday, Detective Superintendent Moller acknowledged Ms Higgins might have thought he was "scolding" her when he made "candid" comments about the potential for media to jeopardise court proceedings.
He made the concession under cross-examination by counsel for Ms Yates, whose actions are being scrutinised at the inquiry along with those of police and ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC.
In his written statement to the inquiry, Detective Superintendent Moller accused Ms Yates of providing "inappropriate" support to Ms Higgins and of using the alleged victim to further her own #MeToo movement agenda.
Detective Superintendent Moller also told the inquiry on Tuesday that Ms Yates had made investigators "nervous" and spoken for Ms Higgins rather than allowing her to talk to police for herself.
But under cross-examination by Dr Dwyer on Wednesday, the senior detective said he no longer believed Ms Yates had been attempting to place "a barrier" between Ms Higgins and investigators.
He said police were "not counsellors", acknowledged support people were "vital" for rape complainants, and described documents presented to the inquiry as showing that "Ms Yates was assisting police".
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He also acknowledged that the Victims of Crime Act entitled Ms Yates to act as Ms Higgins' support person, and that it was "legitimate" for the commissioner to have been a point of contact for police.
Dr Dwyer asked Detective Superintendent Moller specifically about an occasion in May 2021 when five police officers were in a room with Ms Higgins, who had just completed an interview, and Ms Yates.
According to Ms Yates, Detective Superintendent Moller used "a harsh tone" while telling Ms Higgins "you've got to stop talking to the media".
She claims he also said words to the effect of: "If you're speaking to the media and this can't go ahead, it will all be for nothing."
While Detective Superintendent Moller has denied being "harsh", he told the inquiry on Wednesday he had delivered the warning in an "honest" and "candid" fashion.
He described being "fixated on prosecution", saying he felt concerned Ms Higgins had displayed "a drive to be in the media", and publicity "had the potential to undermine everything we were trying to do".
Yates trying to ensure Higgins not 'demolished'
The inquiry heard Ms Yates interjected and told Detective Superintendent Moller that it would not "all be for nothing" if there was no trial because Ms Higgins had "already achieved a great deal" in terms of advocacy.
Inquiry chairman Walter Sofronoff KC suggested Ms Yates might have done this in order to ensure Ms Higgins did not feel "demolished" by the criminal justice process.
In response, Detective Superintendent Moller accepted it was important for police to be reminded that "it's not all about a prosecution" for rape complainants.
Asked by Dr Dwyer if Ms Higgins might have interpreted his comments about media engagement as a "scolding", Detective Superintendent Moller replied: "She could've."
