Cop Who Claimed He’d Investigate Hannah Clarke Murder With An “Open Mind” Told To Stand Down

The police officer who said that the Hannah Clarke murder would be investigated “with an open mind” has been asked to stand down from the investigation.

This story contains discussion of assault and domestic violence.

Detective Inspector Mark Thompson made the comments at a press conference earlier this week.

“Our job as investigators is to keep a completely open mind,” he told reporters.

“Is this an issue of a woman suffering significant domestic violence and her and her children perishing at the hands of the husband, or is this an instance of a husband being driven too far by issues that he’s suffered by certain circumstances into committing acts of this form?”

The comments were immediately criticised by domestic abuse charities, and the public at large. Many saw them as symptomatic of a broader problem with the coverage of Clarke’s death, namely a glowing focus on her murderer, and a sidelining of her own agency and story.

As reported by The Age, police commissioner Katarina Carroll apologised for the comments twice — once in a radio interview, once in the form of a statement.

“Our officers are committed to addressing the scourge of domestic and family violence, and particularly focused on supporting victims,” she said in the statement, noting that Thompson was “upset” about his own comments.

“To ensure public confidence, I have asked Detective Inspector Thompson to step aside from the investigation.”