NCJ Number
176808
Date Published
1998
Length
181 pages
Annotation
The extent of pedophilia in Queensland, Australia, was investigated from the 1980s to the present, based on inquiries and allegations involving police and other public officials that received widespread publicity but were not always substantiated.
Abstract
In August 1997, several Queensland newspapers published articles suggesting past improprieties by police officers and others regarding the investigation of sex crimes against children. About the same time, a report by the Queensland Children's Commission addressed the incidence of pedophilia and the perceived ineffectiveness of law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting offenders. In one case, specific allegations were made about a former police commissioner who had allegedly gathered incriminating materials that he used or proposed to use to blackmail high-profile figures. In other cases, allegations were made about the failure of police officials to investigate pedophilia, specifically systematic and institutional impediments to police investigations of pedophilia and the protection of pedophiles from detection and punishment by the police. Upon investigation, it was determined the allegations did not have substance.