Badge of Betrayal

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 systemSee 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 podshape@proton.me 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 podshape@proton.me   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 podshape@proton.me    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

********Trigger and Content Warning*******  This episode contains discussions of alleged abuse, addiction, and trauma. it also contains strong language. Listener discretion is advised.  If this episode raises anything for you, support services are listed in the show notes.   He doesn’t want you to know his name. But he wants you to hear his story. In this episode, we speak to a man we’re calling X  a former schoolboy, now an adult still carrying the weight of what he says happened to him decades ago. What begins as a story about football…about mentorship…about a trusted figure in a young boy’s life… slowly unravels into something far darker. X describes a relationship he says started with trust, encouragement, and validation — before shifting into behaviour he now understands as grooming. At the time, he says he didn’t question it.He couldn’t. Because this was someone in a position of power.Someone respected.Someone he believed was helping him. Now, speaking from a rehab facility where he’s trying to rebuild his life, X opens up about the long-term impact the addiction, the mental health struggles, and the years of confusion, shame, and silence. He also shares why he’s speaking now…and what he believes others may still be holding onto. 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 podshape@proton.me  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

****Content Warning:****This episode discusses alleged child sexual abuse and includes some graphic descriptions drawn from official Commission evidence. The content may be triggering or distressing. We encourage listeners to prioritise their well-being and pause or skip this episode if needed. This isn’t hindsight. It’s a timeline. In Episode 14, we go back inside the Ashley Youth Detention Centre and lay out the documented overlap appointments, movements, and professional relationships that now sit beside sworn Commission evidence. As RTI requests unfold and more insiders come forward, this investigation keeps widening. Because sometimes the most important question isn’t what happened. It’s who knew and when.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the this fast tracked new episode, On Thursday Feb 12th - The Greens have called for a Parliamentary Inquiry into theReynolds matter after fresh information from the Badge of Betrayal podcast.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode exposes how youth sport and positions of authority were used as gateways to abuse in Tasmania for Reynolds and others.  Through the Weiss Review, survivor testimony, and a firsthand account from a former player, we examine how trust, reputation, and police power created unchecked access to children — and a culture of silence inside change rooms. We also investigate the U-Turn program and the unresolved questions surrounding those involved. Mission Australia delivered the U Turn program as a contracted provider within a government-led youth justice initiative. The allegations discussed in this episode relate to former police officers and individuals, not Mission Australia or its staff. Mission Australia did not employ Paul Reynolds and had no role in supervising his conduct. 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 podshape@proton.meSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of alleged child sexual abuse and institutional violence. Some content may be distressing. Listener discretion is advised. Support resources are listed in the show notes. In this episode of Badge of Betrayal, we return to Alysha, the whistleblower who helped expose abuse at Tasmania’s Ashley Youth Detention Centre. For the first time, we also hear from a former detainee, now an adult, who speaks anonymously about his experiences inside the centre. His voice has been altered and identifying details removed. This conversation was approached with care, expert guidance, and a clear public-interest purpose. It explores power, accountability, and the lasting impact of institutional failure  while centring the courage it takes to speak when silence once felt safer. 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 podshape@proton.meSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we examine how Paul Reynolds’ police honours funeral was approved. Through Right to Information documents, we look at how the decision was made, who was involved, and what was known at the time. The episode also returns to the final sitting day in Parliament, where Dr Rosalie Woodruff raised further questions about unresolved issues surrounding Reynolds and the institutional response to his conduct before and after his death. Using official records and parliamentary proceedings, this episode continues our examination of how decisions were made and why key questions remain unanswered. This episode references extracts from official Right to Information documents and parliamentary proceedings. These materials are presented for context only. No wrongdoing is alleged If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at podshape@proton.me If you’d like to hear episodes ad-free and early, subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. If this episode has raised difficult feelings for you, support is available: 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.

In this episode, we hear from a current serving Tasmanian police officer a man who spent nearly his entire career working alongside Reynolds. Using a voice actor to protect his identity, he describes Reynolds as he knew him: the outgoing, blokey colleague who could charm a room of young men, the officer who became increasingly absent as he climbed the ranks, and the man whose behaviour now looks disturbingly like grooming hiding in plain sight. He also walks us into the world of Ashley Youth Detention Centre  the blind spots, the “cowboy” culture, the friendships between staff and Reynolds, and why he believes it is almost impossible that Reynolds never accessed the centre or its vulnerable boys. Alongside testimony from a whistleblower who worked inside Ashley, this chapter exposes the overlap between policing, youth detention, and community institutions that enabled Reynolds to move freely for decades. It raises the questions no one has been able to answer: who knew what, who looked away, and why so many of Reynolds’ behaviors were minimised or ignored. If you’d like to hear episodes ad-free and early, subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at podshape@proton.me If this episode has raised difficult feelings for you, support is available: 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.