Badge of Betrayal

In this episode of Badge of Betrayal, we examine some of the latest submissions made to Tasmania's police inquiry, including an account from a police officer who claims he was inside the bar at the Tasmania Police Academy in 2008. What do these new submissions reveal, and what questions do they raise about what was happening behind closed doors?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The public hearings into Tasmania Police misconduct begin, with confronting evidence from Laurel House and the DPP. We examine why victim-survivors may be afraid to report police, concerns around the six-month complaint limit, the so-called blue code of silence, and growing calls for a truly independent reporting and oversight systemSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Camille Bianchi is a journalist and podcaster who has worked on a number of acclaimed crime series, including The Nurse, Inside the Tribe and Rotten Apple. Her latest project is a little different. Introducing Back to the Wall. Serial killer Ivan Milat’s story is one of the most infamous in Australian history. So why are there still so many unanswered questions about his movements in the lead-up to his arrest in the 1990s? Could his crimes have been covered up for decades? What was his connection to Kings Cross? As those questions are examined by a New South Wales inquiry, Back to the Wall returns to the mad, bad old days of Sydney’s red-light district to explore where these claims came from. Through the eyes of the street kids who were there, we hear about the QCs, the kids who lined “the Wall”, and the friends they never saw again. History is told by the winners. But what if it wasn’t? Get the first two episodes of Back to the Wall ad-free and early with an Apple Podcasts subscription from Monday, October 12. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For 26 years, the official record told one story. Then a previously unseen police file surfaced. In the final days of a respected Tasmanian emergency services leader’s life, he was questioned over a serious allegation, admitted to a sexual relationship he said was consensual, and moved to retire. Two days later, he was dead. This episode examines the newly released documents, a missing briefing note, disturbing allegations from someone connected to the family, and claims of a warning that have never been independently verified. What happened in those final 48 hours and why did it take more than two decades for the file to emerge? Trigger warning: This episode discusses allegations of sexual abuse, childhood trauma and suicide. Some listeners may find the content distressing. The allegations discussed in this episode remain unproven unless otherwise stated. No court has made findings. Where allegations are raised, they are presented as allegations and distinguished from information contained in official records. If this episode raises anything for you, support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14, by text on 0477 13 11 14, or via online chat 24 hours a day. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new source comes forward with troubling memories of Paul Reynolds in a small Tasmanian town  including claims about inappropriate conversations, late-night drives, and the company he kept. As we follow that thread, it leads back to another town, another former officer, and allegations involving young women that have never been publicly tested in court. We also look at recent charges involving current and former Tasmania Police officers, the long-running question of whether there was something wider inside the system, and what happened when we tried to access documents explaining why Reynolds’ death was investigated alongside three other police deaths.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we go back to Tasmania in 2008, when serious allegations about Paul Reynolds were first put in writing inside Tasmania Police. A newly released RTI reveals three key pieces of correspondence about what was allegedly said in a police bar allegations that Reynolds was a paedophile. But the documents also raise questions about what happened next, and what appears not to have happened. Was Reynolds questioned? Were all witnesses formally interviewed? Was the matter investigated with the seriousness it deserved? As calls grow for a parliamentary inquiry into how Tasmania Police handled allegations against Reynolds, this episode asks whether the warning signs were missed, minimised, or allowed to disappear into the system.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

***Trigger warning:This episode contains discussions of child sexual abuse, grooming, trauma, sexualised behaviour toward minors, and suicide. It may be distressing for some listeners. Please take care while listening. In this episode of Badge of Betrayal, we speak with Tasmania’s Independent Regulator, Louise Coe, about a serious gap in the state’s child safety oversight system. The Office of the Independent Regulator was created to oversee organisations that work with children and young people, including how they respond to allegations of reportable conduct. But in August 2025, Tasmania Police told the regulator they had received legal advice that they were not captured by the scheme meaning they stopped providing key information, including the identities of police officers involved in reportable conduct matters. For eight months, that gap remained. Louise explains why independent oversight matters, why the reporting scheme exists, and why police interactions with vulnerable young people require close scrutiny. She also discusses the importance of backdating the law to cover the period where reporting stopped, and why culture change inside institutions is just as important as technical compliance. Later in the episode, we share part of an anonymous email from another victim of Paul Reynolds.  The email includes graphic and deeply distressing details of alleged grooming, emotional manipulation and sexual abuse, and shows how hearing this podcast has helped some people reframe what happened to them. If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at [email protected] If this episode is triggering, please pause and seek support.  Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Tasmanian parliamentary hearing has exposed a shocking child safety loophole: for months, Tasmania Police were effectively outside the state’s reportable conduct scheme. In this episode, we unpack the committee bombshell, what the regulator revealed, and why the failure to report police matters is causing alarm. We also share new listener information and a fresh lead connected to Paul Reynolds that could open another line of investigation. If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at [email protected]   If this episode is triggering, please pause and seek support.  Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at [email protected]    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.