Police say they 'let down' McSkimming complainant - but are still charging her over emails to another cop

Thursday, 13 November 2025

Charges against “Ms Z” over emails she sent to disgraced former Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming have been withdrawn. But separate charges are still being prosecuted.

The woman at the centre of the downfall of former police Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming is being charged over her emails to a different police officer and his wife.

The woman, known as Ms Z in a damning Independent Police Complaints Authority (IPCA) report released this week, had repeatedly complained to police alleging sex crimes against her by McSkimming. The pair had a brief relationship after they’d met at a sporting club in 2016 when she was 21 and he was 40.

Police were heavily criticised in the IPCA report over their initial failure to investigate whether there was any truth to the allegations she’d made against McSkimming. Ultimately, police decided to prosecute her instead under the Harmful Digital Communications Act over the emails she’d sent.

Those charges have now been withdrawn. Stuff understands this is because McSkimming, as the victim in those charges, did not wish for them to proceed. He now awaits sentencing having pleaded guilty over charges related to child exploitation and bestiality, found on his work devices.

But Ms Z continued to face separate charges over emails allegedly sent to another police officer - a detective - and his wife.

The charges, laid in June and August this year, also under the Harmful Digital Communications Act, detail 10 emails allegedly sent with intent to cause harm.

In the wake of the scathing IPCA report, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has publicly apologised to Ms Z over the way police handled her complaints.

On Wednesday, Stuff asked police why, given those statements and the acknowledgement that Ms Z was ignored and badly let down by Police, they were continuing to pursue a prosecution against her.

This follows the police’s independent watchdog releasing its report into the handling of serious complaints made against now disgraced top cop Jevon McSkimming, that had found there were “serious failings” by “very senior officers”.

In a statement on Thursday, Chambers said as the matter is before the court it would be inappropriate for him to comment on its merits.

“However, what I have done and what I can say is, that I have assured myself that proper process has been followed in bringing this case.”

Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson added that as Ms Z is the defendant in a prosecution in the District Court he too could not comment on the merits of the prosecution, including the public interest.

Ms Z has name suppression.

In a statement this week, her lawyer Steven Lack said police had failed his client.

“Over a period of years, she attempted to report allegations of serious physical, psychological and sexual offending by Mr McSkimming, then one of the most senior police officers in the country. Instead of being heard, she was dismissed and ultimately prosecuted for speaking out and raising her concerns.”

Lack said police could have viewed Ms Z as a traumatised victim but instead accepted McSkimming’s denials.