Fed: DPP defends handling of Volkers case
CANBERRA, April 3 AAP - Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Leanne Claretoday defended her office's handling of the case against national swimming coach ScottVolkers.
A report by the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) tabled in the Queensland parliamentyesterday was critical of the DPP's handling of the case surrounding Mr Volkers, who wasaccused of indecently assaulting three girls.
It found the process leading to the decision to drop charges against Mr Volkers lastSeptember was unsatisfactory.
The charges, which Mr Volkers vehemently denied, related to alleged indecent dealingagainst three girls 18 years ago when he was a junior swimming coach.
Ms Clare said she understood there could have been different approaches to dealingwith the case but she stood by her office's actions.
"This case has been a very emotive one for a lot of people and I accept that theremight be different views, those to the way it should have been approached," she told ABCradio.
"But there are aspects of the report that I don't agree with."
President of the Queensland Police Union, Sergeant Gary Wilkinson, described the DPP'shandling of Mr Volkers' case as incompetent and said he hoped it was dealt with correctlya second time around.
"I understand a new brief has been prepared and I understand it will go to the DPP,"
he told ABC radio.
"The DPP then must make that decision, whether she's going to put Scott Volkers on trial or not.
"I'm not making any judgments on anybody but I think that the incompetent manner thatit was dealt with by the DPP shows that something now must be done."
Releasing the report, CMC chairman Brendan Butler said the inquiry found no evidenceof misconduct by the DPP or police or any political interference.
Mr Butler said it was not within the CMC's terms of reference to address whether theDPP's decision to drop the charges was correct or not.
But Mr Butler said the "process leading to the decision not to continue with the prosecutionof any of the charges against Mr Volkers was unsatisfactory".
"In particular, it was a mistake to accept defence statements on the basis that theDPP would be restricted in the way it would use those statements," Mr Butler said.
The report also found concerns about the poor supervision and inexperience of the arrestingofficer.
AAP sm/ge/de
KEYWORD: VOLKERS DAYLEAD
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