The decision not to criminally charge a police sergeant accused of performing Nazi salutes sends a “dangerous message” that some may be above the law, a critic says.
A prominent figure in the Jewish community criticized the decision not to press charges against a police officer accused of giving a Nazi salute twice.
The veteran police sergeant allegedly made the banned gesture at the Victoria Police Academy in Glen Waverley, in Melbourne’s south-east, on successive days in October.
The 65-year-old woman was accused of approaching two employees and giving the salute, as well as uttering the words ‘heil Hitler’.
The next day, in a post-family violence scenario where he met with a squad of recruits and another instructor, the sergeant allegedly performed the salute again and said “heil Hitler.”
This prompted a swift rebuke from Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, who called his alleged actions “appalling” and “abhorrent”.
But Victoria Police’s criminal case was dropped after the prosecution informed it there was “no reasonable prospect of conviction”.
An internal disciplinary investigation was launched and the sergeant remains suspended.
Jewish community leaders have asked for an explanation of why charges were dropped against a veteran sergeant who allegedly performed a Nazi salute (file image)
The 65-year-old allegedly performed the salute twice on successive days at the Victoria Police Academy in Glen Waverley before uttering the words “heil Hitler” (file image)
Anti-Defamation Commission Chairman Dvir Abramovich, who spent years lobbying governments to ban the salute, said he was surprised by the outcome given Patton’s previous statements.
“This decision risks sending a dangerous and corrosive message – that some individuals, by virtue of their position, may be above the law,” he told AAP.
Abramovich said the “shameful” decision should be fully explained and made public, stating Victorians had a right to know.
“I am appalled that an act so deeply offensive to Holocaust survivors and their descendants is being swept under the rug,” he said.
The AAP has contacted the state prosecutor’s office for comment.
A Victorian Government spokeswoman said it would be inappropriate to “publish a comment” while the internal disciplinary process was underway.
“There is no place for this type of hurtful and divisive behavior and Victorians rightly expect the highest standard of conduct from members of the police,” he said.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton (pictured) called his alleged actions “appalling” but prosecutors dropped the charges due to an unreasonable “prospect of conviction”.
State and federal governments have banned Nazi symbols and gestures amid concerns about rising anti-Semitism.
Far-right and self-proclaimed “soldier Hitler” Jacob Hersant in October became the first Victorian found guilty of intentionally performing the Nazi salute in public.
He was sentenced to one month in prison but released on bail pending an appeal.
In Victoria, performing the Nazi salute in public can carry a sentence of up to 12 months in prison or a fine of $23,000, if proven.