On July 3, 2013, Sergeant Gabrielle McDonald took her own life. A mother of two from Newcastle, Sergeant McDonald had developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after attending a series of harrowing incidents during her career, including a double road fatality in 2010 and a drowning death of a 17-year-old boy.
Now, her husband Andrew McDonald is suing the N.S.W. State government, with the statement of claim alleging that the Police Force failed to provide his wife with adequate training and had put โher in a position of perilโ, the ABC reports. The suit also alleges that after Sergeant McDonald attempted suicide at the Newcastle police station, however the incident was not investigated.
Mr McDonald, who was also a police officer, told the ABC, โItโs investigation 101,โ
โThatโs what police do and itโs appalling that it was never done.โ
He recounted the last phone conversation he had with his wife.
โShe said I canโt go on any more. Iโm not getting better. Iโm such a burdenโฆโ he said.
โAnd I said: โYou canโt do thisโ. I pleaded with her and begged her not to.
โShe said I love you and the kids. We talked about all the things weโd done together, but nothing I said would make sense to her, she was just that determined to do itโ.
The N.S.W. Police told the ABC they continue โto improve its practices and procedures, having made significant advances over many years to minimise the psychological impact of policing duties on our officers, who frequently undertake stressful and difficult work,โ the statement said.
โIt is well understood that every officerโs circumstances are unique and most often extremely complex with regard to the impacts of psychological injury.โ