Louise Nicholas: Survivors' Advocate on the IPCA report into the handling of complaints against Jevon McSkimming

Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster is "on leave" from the Social Investment Agency following a damning report into the handling of the Jevon McSkimming case. 

The former Deputy Police Commissioner is awaiting sentence after last week pleading guilty to having child sexual exploitation and bestiality material on his work devices. 

The IPCA's report reveals senior leadership ignored anonymous allegations McSkimming was a sexual predator, and instead the woman was prosecuted for digital harassment. 

Survivors' advocate Louise Nicholas told Ryan Bridge Coster's role in this really makes her angry. 

She says he has a lot to answer for around this and he needs to front up. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This IPCA report on mc skimming and the top dogs
at police. Instead of investigating a complaint from a young
woman whom mc skimming had an affair with, senior officers
instead believed mc skimming's version of events, arrested the woman
charged it with harassment. Costin knew about the whole thing.
He's on leave from his new big government job. Judith
Collins was asked if this is all corruption?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
I think if it walks like a duck and it
quacks like a duck, it's.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Not looking good, is it.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Here's Chambers, But this.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Report speaks for itself. I have no doubt that people
will interpret the report in their own way. It's left
more than just police people down. It's let New Zealanders
down because this is disgraceful.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Baby.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Louise Nichols is with our Sexual violence Survivor and Advocates.
Good morning, Good morning, Ryan. What did you think reading that?

Speaker 3 (00:46):
Oh yeah, pretty pretty disgusted and saddened by the whole thing.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
To be fair, are you surprised?

Speaker 3 (00:56):
I'd like to say yes, but as we know, you know,
you get dumb and dumber in all any organization. And
it wasn't a matter of if this would happen again.
It was a matter of.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
When they're saying I didn't inspect a general and they
had kind of fixed things up. Do you think that's
a good move.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, yeah, I think so. To be fair, it just
if you've got somebody external in there with a better
insight and having that overlook of the whole organization keeping
everybody on their toes. Yeah, I think it's not a
bad idea.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
You were an advisor to police for a wee while
there weren't you Are you still doing that job?

Speaker 3 (01:40):
Well? What I do with police is trainings with the
adult sexual assault teams twice a year, and I worked
close with police supporting survivors going through the criminal justice system.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
It's those frontline staff. Mandy's just text to show Ryan
how I feel for him. This whole thing is your
average hard working police officers. I mean, they'll be absolutely
raging about this.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
Oh without a doubt. And it's and what Nick Skimming
and the others have done does not define our New
Zealand police. It does not at all. They're hard working.
They do a damn good job on the front line,
especially with our survivors of sexual violence and family violence.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
You have much to do with Costa.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Not really.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
No, what do you think of his partner all this?

Speaker 3 (02:32):
Yeah? See that that's where I get angry that you know,
the top cop allowed this to happen, and that to
me was sure. Yeah, no words for him to.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Be fair and he's got a he's sitting right now
as we speak on a five year contract with a
new government job.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, but he's got a lot to answer for around
this and he needs to front it.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Always appreciate your time this morning. Thank you for being
with me Louise Nichols on the police and the IPCA report.
For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
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