Contributed by Ugly
Former Queensland police Sergeant Rick Flori has been found not guilty of misconduct in a trial by jury.
The charge against him chad come about, because in 2012 he had leaked footage of police officers bating up a handcuffed man at a Gold Coast police station basement. The department argued that Flori had been motivated by anger over being overlooked for a promotion.
He denied this in his defense, and was assisted in court by social justice advocate Renee Eaves.
But what about the man who was beaten? Apparently, this accounts for noting. One of the assaulters (Ben Lamb), who was clearly identified kicking the victim, was merely given a suspended dismissal. Basically, a slap on the wrist. Lamb was able to continue in his role as a Queensland police officer.
Anyone who has ever lived in the state knows that beatings are routine and have been so for a long time. For Indigenous Australians it is more frequent.
Flori hander over his footage to a journalist and the story became a significant media news, which cast spotlight on what is going on in the Queensland police force.
After this, Ben Flori left the police.
Whistle blowers need protection. When they pass on information about wrongdoing, they do us all a favour. In this case the use of unwarranted violence in the Queensland police force is something that needs to be cleaned up.
Instead of being punished, he should have received a commendation from the brass. That they chose to go after his hide, shows that the culture of cover up, closing the ranks and punishing the messenger is rife, right to the top.
Ben Flori is made of different stuff. He witnessed something that was wrong, and he had the courage to do something about it. Without people like him, we would all be much worse off and
many people will appreciate his contribution.
To be a whistleblower exposing systemic wrongdoing in a regimented workplace like the army or police takes a special kind of courage. You will be forever on the outer, victimised, sniped at, your things damaged or contaminated and so on. It is even more so when you are a civilian on the outside because all the resources of the most crooked & corrupt from within that organisation will do their best to destroy you, your job, your family. This man should be congratulated on behalf of us all and if he ever needs your help and you are able to do so, then do so happily. I know from experience, one in my family blew the ehistle on the army from outside.