Former police boss Andrew Coster on leave after IPCA report into handling of Jevon McSkimming complaint
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
The Government will create a new independent watchdog for police after a damning IPCA report revealed major failings in the handling of sexual accusations made against former deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming.
Suppression orders lifted today mean it can now be reported that police arrested and prosecuted a woman who complained about McSkimming - the charges were later withdrawn.
Responding to the publication of the Independent Police Conduct Authority report on Tuesday evening, Public Service Minister Judith Collins said the findings were “extremely concerning and disappointing”.
“It has found serious issues within the former police executive, which is why the Government is acting decisively to install the strongest statutory oversight mechanism available to it – an Inspector-General of Police.”
Collins, Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers held a press conference following the release of the IPCA report on Tuesday afternoon. That followed the lifting of suppression orders in the Wellington District Court regarding the prosecution.
The IPCA had found that members of the police executive failed to investigate claims made by a young woman in 2023 and 2024 about McSkimming, who had an affair with the woman from 2016 to 2018, when she was 21 and he was 40.
Then-police commissioner Andrew Coster was informed by McSkimming, after he became deputy commissioner, that he had an affair and was receiving harassing emails from the woman, who sent these emails to many people.
Instead of investigating the complaints, the woman was prosecuted under the Harmful Digital Communications Act.
“The police response to these complaints was characterised by inaction and an unquestioning acceptance of Mr McSkimming’s narrative of events,” the IPCA said.
“When police referred the matter to the IPCA in October 2024 then-commissioner Coster attempted to influence the nature and extent of the investigation and the timeframe for its completion.”
Coster also failed to disclose to the Public Service Commission his knowledge of this relationship when McSkimming was interviewed for a subsequent statutory deputy commissioner job.
The eventual investigation of the woman’s complaints by the IPCA was picked up by the Public Service Commission when McSkimming was considered for an interim police commissioner role, and led police to find objectionable material on McSkimming’s computer.
Last week, McSkimming, 52, pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing child sexual exploitation and bestiality material. Five other charges were withdrawn.
“New Zealanders will understandably have questions around how McSkimming was able to be considered for roles at the highest level of police given what has come to light,” Collins said.
At least three lower ranked police staff had “stood up for what they knew was the right thing”, including one who sent the IPCA a complaint, Collins said, bringing the matter to the light of day.
She said the Public Service Commissioner was now investigating Coster, who was now on leave from his job as head of the Social Investment Agency.
“If this was me … I would be deeply ashamed.”
Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis read the IPCA report on Sunday and was “shocked and appalled by its findings”.
“I have conveyed my views to Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche. The matter now sits with him as Mr Coster's employer.“
Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the matter was a “wake-up call” being taken “extremely seriously”.
A review of the commission’s employment processes had already been undertaken by lawyer Miriam Dean, KC, which made a series of recommendations including a more deliberate focus on a fit and proper person test, stronger interview questions, and a post-interview disclosure opportunity for candidates.
Coster was this afternoon contacted for comment by The Post, as was the Social Investment Agency. Ahead of the IPCA report’s release a response from an email address in his name said he would “not be responding to media ahead of the release of the IPCA report and any associated processes”.
Another member of the former police executive named in the report, Tania Kura, has also left police since the events covered in the IPCA report.
Mitchell, the police minister, said the IPCA report revealed “significant flaws” and he was “extremely disappointed”.
“At the centre of the investigation is a woman who has been let down by the previous police executive and the system, I cannot express how frustrated and disappointed I've been since becoming aware of the situation,” he said.
He said the Government was doing everything it could to make sure this did not happen again.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said the IPCA report showed “troubling departures by former senior leaders of police from the usual processes for dealing both with sexual assault complaints and with investigations into police officers”.
“There was interference from the highest levels, and the interests and ambitions of a senior police officer were put above the interests of a vulnerable woman. I want to apologise to the woman at the centre of this.
“You asked for help, you were badly let down.”
Asked if the woman could receive some form of compensation, Chambers said he had contacted the woman’s lawyer to extend the apology and he was sure “there’ll be further conversations”.
Chambers said the new team he was leading would take ownership of the response to the IPCA report.
He had already appointed an independent senior lawyer to conduct employment investigations where required.
Chambers said three staff still employed by police were implicated in the IPCA's findings.
He said to learn of this was a “kick in the guts” for the 15,000 police officers across New Zealand.
The IPCA made 13 recommendations for the police and Government, all accepted by both.
The recommendations include:
more specific recognition of who is responsible for the protection of integrity at senior management level;
a revamp of police internal policies and programmes to promote positive culture around integrity issues and ethical behaviour;
changes to the Integrity and Conduct Unit within police to enable it to play a stronger and more independent role and more effectively to act against poor behaviour when it arises;
legislative and structural changes to enable more robust criminal and employment processes and outcomes in relation to alleged misconduct by police officers;
a strengthening of the IPCA’s oversight role; and
enhanced ministerial and parliamentary oversight.
Collins said the new Inspector-General of Police would be “the way of doing business from now on”.
The inspector-general would provide “a far higher level of supervision and far more powers to the inspectors”.
Such inspector-generals, which already exist for the intelligence agencies and Defence Force, have powers that include the ability to review whatever files they choose in the system of the agency they scrutinise.
Collins said the Government would have to legislate to create the new inspector-general.
“It's not going to be a rush job,” she said.