A Victorian detective senior constable has been charged with common assault for allegedly punching and kicking a handcuffed teenager during an arrest in Ballarat last year. The charge follows an investigation by the state's independent broad-based anti-corruption commission (Ibac), which announced the action on Friday.
According to Ibac's statement, the detective allegedly unlawfully punched and kicked the teenager multiple times after the teen's arrest, while the victim was handcuffed and compliant. The teenager was under 18 years old at the time of the incident, which occurred in October 2025.
Court appearance scheduled
The police officer is expected to appear before the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on 26 October to face the common assault charge. This case marks the fourth time in five weeks that Ibac has charged a Victorian police officer with assault, a notable increase compared to previous years.
In 2025, only one police officer was charged with assault by Ibac, which was also the first full year of operation for its focused police complaints team (FPCT). The FPCT was established to assess and investigate serious, single-incident allegations of Victoria Police misconduct, particularly against communities at higher risk of experiencing police misconduct, including children and young people.
Other recent assault charges
Earlier this month, a leading senior constable was charged with four counts of assault following an investigation into the force used against a teenager in Braybrook, in Melbourne's west, in October 2025. Ibac alleges that the officer unlawfully struck the teen with a baton multiple times and stood on the teenager while they were being restrained on the ground. The officer was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and two counts of unlawful assault.
In August, Ibac charged two officers with assault after they allegedly used a Taser and knee to repeatedly strike a man in the head during an arrest last year. These cases highlight a growing trend in the watchdog's enforcement actions.
Increased oversight and investigations
Ibac's deputy commissioner for police oversight, Liana Buchanan, said in March that the FPCT was a key factor in the increase in investigations and recommendations into the police. Prior to the team's establishment, only a small percentage of complaints about police had been investigated by Ibac.
“This important stream of work means IBAC is stepping in more frequently to conduct fully independent investigations of police misconduct against children, Aboriginal people, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, people experiencing mental ill-health and others,” Buchanan said. The recent charges underscore the watchdog's expanded role in holding police accountable, with the detective's court appearance set for next month.
