Badge of Betrayal

Police face the Reynolds questions for a second time. Commissioner Donna Adams apologises for the funeral, but gaps remain over the Weiss terms of reference, a possible misconduct notice for former Commissioner Darren Hine, and a coronial investigation in 2018.

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Submission 13 to Tasmania's Parliamentary Inquiry tells the story of a woman who sought protection from her partner, a serving police officer, only to find herself the subject of a family violence order.

That order was later revoked, and according to her submission, an internal police review found there had been no legal basis for issuing it.

In this episode of Badge of Betrayal, we examine her allegations of investigative failures, delays and potential conflicts of interest, raising serious questions about what happens when police investigate their own.

Plus, Senator Jacqui Lambie calls for a full commission of inquiry into Tasmania Police.

The allegations and experiences discussed in this episode are drawn from Submission 13 to the Tasmanian Parliamentary Inquiry. They represent the account of the person making the submission and should not be taken as established findings of fact.

The allegations of criminal conduct have not been proven in a court of law, and no finding of criminal guilt should be inferred from the submission or this episode.

All individuals referred to are entitled to the presumption of innocence. Our purpose is to examine the matters raised in the submission and the broader questions they present about police processes, accountability and independent oversight.

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Three of Tasmania’s most senior police officers appear before the parliamentary inquiry. We unpack their evidence on serious misconduct, oversight and police culture, and the questions their answers leave behind.

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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?

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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 system

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This special episode is being released across both Our Little Edey and Badge of Betrayal, as new information intersects with both stories  the death of Eden Westbrook and wider questions surrounding Tasmania Police.

A former Tasmania Police staff member shares what Sergeant Robert “Cookie” Cook told her about his time in St Helens, while another witness comes forward with fresh allegations and a disturbing memory involving “Kate.”

Plus, we bring you the latest developments from the parliamentary inquiry into Tasmania Police.

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In this rush-release episode we delve into two submissions that were made public today in the government inquiry into Taspol. 

The first is from the DPP, and the second is from Taspol. It poses some interesting questions.

We also get more information from inside Taspol for 4 current serving officers, which again pose more questions.   

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Six months after first speaking to us anonymously, serving senior police officer “Tom” returns with new allegations about what happens inside Tasmania Police when misconduct involves senior ranks. He explains what he calls “off-book investigations” — matters allegedly handled outside normal reporting and oversight processes — and why he believes they can be used to avoid scrutiny. Tom also reveals the extraordinary position he now finds himself in: having spoken out to help expose these issues, he fears that his involvement in this podcast could complicate his ability to come forward to the parliamentary inquiry

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CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses allegations of sexual misconduct, workplace power imbalance and fear of reporting within policing. The allegations discussed have not been tested in court and have not been independently established. Identifying details have been deliberately withheld.

A detailed anonymous email lands with Badge of Betrayal, containing serious allegations involving a serving female police officer and a more senior colleague.

But this episode is about something bigger than one allegation.

What happens when a police officer believes the person they may need to report has more power inside the organisation than they do? Who can they safely turn to? And what happens when serious information is known inside an organisation, but never becomes a formal complaint?

We also return to our anonymous serving officer “Tom”, who tells us about something he describes as an “off-book investigation” — raising new questions about how allegations can be handled inside Tasmania Police and what records should exist when serious concerns are raised.

As the Parliamentary Inquiry into Tasmania Police responses to allegations of officer misconduct continues, we ask a fundamental question: can a junior police officer report someone at the top and genuinely believe there will be no repercussions?

SUPPORT OUR INVESTIGATION

Help us continue independent investigative reporting and get additional material, updates and early access through Podshape True Crime on Patreon.

Join Podshape True Crime on Patreon

SUPPORT

If anything raised in this episode affects you or someone you know, help is available.

State-Wide Sexual Assault Support Line — 1800 697 877
24/7 support in Tasmania through Sexual Assault Support Service and Laurel House.

1800RESPECT — 1800 737 732
Text 0458 737 732 for 24/7 domestic, family and sexual violence counselling and support.

1800RESPECT

Lifeline — 13 11 14
Text 0477 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support.

Lifeline Australia

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains confronting and graphic descriptions of alleged child sexual abuse and sexual assault, including allegations involving a child, grooming, coercion and abuse by a person in a position of authority. It also contains discussion of suicide and police misconduct. Some listeners may find this episode extremely distressing. Please take care while listening and skip this episode if these subjects may be harmful or triggering for you.

Another serving Tasmanian police officer has come forward after listening to Badge of Betrayal.

Still wearing the badge today, he has asked us to protect his identity because he fears professional repercussions for speaking out. He tells us about the police academy instructor he once admired, behaviour he says he later witnessed, and the question that has stayed with him for more than 20 years: if Tasmania Police already knew of allegations or concerns, why was this officer ever placed in a position of authority over young recruits?

Our source has also provided information about separate allegations of misconduct involving other members of Tasmania Police. Those allegations are not connected to Paul Reynolds and, at this stage, have not all been independently verified. But they raise a broader question that has followed this investigation from the beginning: when serious allegations are made against police officers, who holds the police to account — and how does the public know that accountability has actually occurred?

Then, we return to a case first uncovered through documents obtained under Right to Information laws: former Tasmanian police officer Rex Klein. We can now reveal the disturbing allegations made against Klein by a woman who says the abuse began when she was just eight years old. 

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SUPPORT

If this episode raises issues for you or someone you know, support is available.

1800RESPECT is Australia's national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800 737 732 or text 0458 737 732. Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (1800RESPECT)

For crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14. Lifeline is available 24/7.

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The story of Paul Reynolds reaches into another Tasmanian case — the death of 15-year-old Eden Westbrook.

In this special crossover episode with Our Little Edey, Eden’s parents Jason and Amanda explain why they want to know exactly what Reynolds wrote, said and communicated while involved with Eden’s case and the coronial process.

We also examine police dispatch records from St Helens, previously unseen call-outs and questions surrounding the morning Eden was found.

Given everything now known about Reynolds, should every case he touched be independently reviewed?

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A new witness comes forward.

As Tasmania's Parliamentary Inquiry into police misconduct officially begins, we examine what it could mean for Badge of Betrayal, the questions it will investigate, and why parliamentary privilege may encourage more people to finally speak.

Then, an anonymous witness takes us back to Tasmania's notorious street groups of the 1970s and '80s, revealing what they knew about convicted child exploiter Gary Devine long before his crimes became public.

Finally, we revisit the unanswered mystery surrounding Paul Reynolds' desperate requests for $50,000, his contact with a criminal associate, and the connections that continue to emerge as this investigation unfolds

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For 15 years, Tasmania Police said the matter was investigated.

Now, after months of Right to Information requests, Badge of Betrayal has obtained 61 pages of internal investigation files that have never been publicly examined in full.

Inside those documents are admissions from police officers who contacted escort services, records showing one officer made 34 contacts with prostitutes over a two-month period, evidence that an officer lied during the investigation, and an Integrity Commission intervention that forced Tasmania Police to reopen the case.

Then, in a Badge of Betrayal exclusive, a former correctional officer who worked inside Risdon Prison speaks publicly for the first time. After listening to this podcast, they contacted us with an account of conversations they say they had with Gary Devine while he was behind bars information they reported through official prison channels years ago but have never shared publicly until now.

This is one of the most significant episodes we've released.

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In this explosive episode of Badge of Betrayal, a former Tasmania Police officer who worked alongside Reynolds speaks publicly about the culture they witnessed firsthand. They describe allegations of bullying, intimidation and a workplace where many were too afraid to speak up.

The former officer also shares why they believe Reynolds was treated differently to others, raising serious questions about whether he was a protected figure within the organisation and how that may have influenced accountability.

This is a confronting firsthand account that sheds new light on the culture surrounding one of Tasmania Police's most controversial figures—and asks whether the system failed those who tried to challenge it.

Listener discretion is advised. The views expressed by interviewees are their own. Allegations discussed are presented as claims and opinions unless otherwise established by evidence or official findings.

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A 12-year-old girl says she reported what happened on her walk home, but years later, she still wonders why nothing seemed to happen next. And Jacqui Lambie calls for an independent body to hold Tasmania Police to account; the same question keeps coming up: who investigates the investigators?

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Following the announcement of a Tasmanian parliamentary inquiry into police responses to allegations of officer misconduct, child sexual abuse and family violence, this episode explains what the inquiry means for victim survivors, witnesses and anyone considering making a submission. It breaks down how submissions work, what confidentiality means, and what happens if someone is asked to give evidence.

The episode also returns to a Right to Information disclosure linked to the Weiss Review, revealing that a deceased former Tasmania Police officer, who has been identified in relation to allegations of sexual abuse from the 1970s and 1980s.

If you would like the register your interest in making a submission you can do it at [email protected] 

For more details click here

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In breaking news from Tasmania, parliament has announced  an Inquiry into Tasmania Police responses to allegations of officer misconduct. It will look at 

1. The adequacy of systems, processes and oversight arrangements for responding to allegations of serious misconduct within Tasmania Police, including sexual misconduct and family violence;
2. The culture of Tasmania Police in relation to matters or allegations of misconduct;
3. The response from Tasmania Police and the Tasmanian Government to the Paul Reynolds matter including the limited scope of inquiry into his conduct prior to the Weiss Review, and the decision to hold a police funeral; and
4. Any other related matters.

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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.

Allegations involving former Tasmanian police officer Paul Reynolds. A current officer is now before the courts. And a 15-year-old child exploitation scandal where police officers were allegedly linked by phone calls.

In this episode, we look at three separate matters across different time periods and ask whether they raise deeper systemic questions inside Tasmania Police.

This is not about saying every case is connected. It is about asking what happens when serious allegations involve the very institution trusted to investigate them  and whether the public has ever been given enough answers.

Disclaimer: This episode discusses allegations of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Some matters mentioned remain before the courts, and all accused persons are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If this episode raises anything for you, please reach out for support. In Australia, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14, or use their crisis chat at https://www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat/.

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.

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.

A serious concern was raised at a school. Students needed to be protected. The person accused needed a fair chance to respond. And the institution needed a process strong enough to withstand scrutiny.

In this episode, we examine a publicly available 2006 Tasmanian Industrial Commission decision involving St Patrick’s College. It is not about Paul Reynolds, and it does not prove anything about him. But it does show how difficult and how important institutional process becomes when allegations involve children, trusted adults, missing evidence and career-threatening consequences

Disclaimer:
This episode discusses a publicly available Tasmanian Industrial Commission decision involving allegations made against a teacher in 2006.

The teacher denied the allegations. The Commission ultimately found that the allegations were not proved on the balance of probabilities and recommended that the warning issued to the teacher be withdrawn.

Nothing in this episode should be taken as a finding that the teacher engaged in wrongdoing. Our focus is on the process: how the concern was raised, how the school responded, how evidence was handled, and what the Commission said about procedural fairness.

We are not suggesting wrongdoing by St Patrick’s College, its staff, students or any individual involved. We are reporting on a public decision and examining the broader institutional questions it raises about allegations, evidence, fairness and accountability.

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.

In this episode of Badge of Betrayal, we examine two deeply sensitive stories that raise the same uncomfortable question: what happens when the person accused is part of the system itself?

The episode begins with allegations involving “John”, a former police officer who later moved into another public-facing role within the Tasmanian system. Through internal documents, witness statements and a Direction 5 Code of Conduct process, we explore claims that were serious enough to raise questions about workplace conduct, accountability and whether warnings were properly handled.

Then, we look at Laura’s story, first reported by the ABC, involving allegations connected to a serving Tasmanian police officer, a family violence order later found to have no legal basis, and concerns about how complaints are handled when police are investigating one of their own.

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.

***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.

For years, it was brushed aside as banter. Something uncomfortable, but never fully spoken about.

In this episode, another former student comes forward to describe the influence Reynolds had over a tight-knit group of boys, and the behaviour they are only now, as adults, beginning to understand differently.

He speaks about grief, vulnerability, power, and the way trauma can shape a life long after childhood. He also reflects on why so many men stay silent, and what happens when that silence finally starts to break.

This is a confronting and deeply personal account of shame, silence, masculinity, and the long shadow of things left unsaid.

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.

In 2019, a major review into Tasmania’s prosecution system found it was working “satisfactorily.”
A few issues. Some pressure. Nothing the system couldn’t handle.

But what happens when that pressure builds quietly… over time?

Through an RTI-obtained document, a new internal review from 2024 reveals a system under strain  growing case loads, increasing complexity, delays in disclosure, and resources struggling to keep up.

In this episode, we step back from individual cases and examine the system itself the warning signs, the missed opportunities, and the environment these cases existed within.

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 [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a reason this episode took longer to release.

After our last episode aired, we were contacted by multiple independent sources urging us not to drop the story. What they shared raised new questions we couldn’t ignore.

In this episode, we follow a name that continues to surface in connection with events in Burnie decades ago.

We also examine new figures from Tasmania Police that reveal a growing number of serious internal complaints and a pattern that appears again and again inside the system.

Finally, we reveal the outcome of a Right to Information request seeking documents about a controversial decision involving multiple police deaths.

The department confirmed the documents exist.

But they won’t release them.

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.