A Tasmanian parliamentary hearing has exposed a shocking child safety loophole: for months, Tasmania Police were effectively outside the state’s reportable conduct scheme.

In this episode, we unpack the committee bombshell, what the regulator revealed, and why the failure to report police matters is causing alarm. We also share new listener information and a fresh lead connected to Paul Reynolds that could open another line of investigation.

If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at podshape@proton.me

 

If this episode is triggering, please pause and seek support. 


Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au


Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au


1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au

If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at podshape@proton.me

 

 

A Tasmanian parliamentary hearing has exposed a shocking child safety loophole: for months, Tasmania Police were effectively outside the state&rsquo;s reportable conduct scheme.
In this episode, we unpack the committee bombshell, what the regulator revealed, and why the failure to report police matters is causing alarm. We also share new listener information and a fresh lead connected to Paul Reynolds that could open another line of investigation.
If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podshape@proton.me">podshape@proton.me</a>
&nbsp;
If this episode is triggering, please pause and seek support.&nbsp;
<ul data-start="1139" data-end="1515">
<li data-start="1139" data-end="1195">
Lifeline: 13 11 14 &mdash; <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au" data-start="1166" data-end="1193">https://www.lifeline.org.au</a>
</li>
<li data-start="1196" data-end="1261">
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 &mdash; <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au" data-start="1232" data-end="1259">https://kidshelpline.com.au</a>
</li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1328">
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 &mdash; <a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au" data-start="1296" data-end="1326">https://www.1800respect.org.au</a>
</li>
</ul>
If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at <a href="mailto:podshape@proton.me">podshape@proton.me</a>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

A senior cop. Decades of rumours. A trail of victim-survivors, buried complaints, and a police culture that looked the other way. Badge of Betrayal blows open the true story of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds, the high-ranking Tasmanian officer who rose through the force while dark allegations swirled behind him. 

From the producers who brought you Our Little Edey, this series follows the threads others left untouched. As the walls close in, new leads emerge, connections surface, and the line between institutional failure and deliberate protection becomes disturbingly blurred. 

With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades.

A senior cop. Decades of rumours. A trail of victim-survivors, buried complaints, and a police culture that looked the other way. Badge of Betrayal blows open the true story of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds, the high-ranking Tasmanian officer who rose through the force while dark allegations swirled behind him.&nbsp;
From the producers who brought you Our Little Edey, this series follows the threads others left untouched. As the walls close in, new leads emerge, connections surface, and the line between institutional failure and deliberate protection becomes disturbingly blurred.&nbsp;
With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades.

With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades.

Badge of Betrayal

A senior cop. Decades of rumours. A trail of victim-survivors, buried complaints and a police culture that looked the other way. Badge of Betrayal blows open the true story of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds the high-ranking Tasmanian officer who rose through the force while dark allegations swirled behind him. 

From the producers who brought you Our Little Edey, this series follows the threads others left untouched. As the walls close in, new leads emerge, connections surface, and the line between institutional failure and deliberate protection becomes disturbingly blurred. 

With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades.

A senior cop. Decades of rumours. A trail of victim-survivors, buried complaints and a police culture that looked the other way. Badge of Betrayal blows open the true story of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds the high-ranking Tasmanian officer who rose through the force while dark allegations swirled behind him.&nbsp;
From the producers who brought you Our Little Edey, this series follows the threads others left untouched. As the walls close in, new leads emerge, connections surface, and the line between institutional failure and deliberate protection becomes disturbingly blurred.&nbsp;
With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades.

The Child Safety Gap Inside TASPOL

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/5a66bf72-7225-48c2-b454-b42f0035ff8c/transcript

In 2019, a major review into Tasmania’s prosecution system found it was working “satisfactorily.”
A few issues. Some pressure. Nothing the system couldn’t handle.

But what happens when that pressure builds quietly… over time?

Through an RTI-obtained document, a new internal review from 2024 reveals a system under strain  growing case loads, increasing complexity, delays in disclosure, and resources struggling to keep up.

In this episode, we step back from individual cases and examine the system itself  the warning signs, the missed opportunities, and the environment these cases existed within.

 

In 2019, a major review into Tasmania&rsquo;s prosecution system found it was working &ldquo;satisfactorily.&rdquo; A few issues. Some pressure. Nothing the system couldn&rsquo;t handle.
But what happens when that pressure builds quietly&hellip; over time?
Through an RTI-obtained document, a new internal review from 2024 reveals a system under strain&nbsp; growing case loads, increasing complexity, delays in disclosure, and resources struggling to keep up.
In this episode, we step back from individual cases and examine the system itself&nbsp; the warning signs, the missed opportunities, and the environment these cases existed within.
&nbsp;

It Didn’t Break… It Bent

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/0070cd69-6197-42d3-b0c5-b42500599e9b/transcript

********Trigger and Content Warning******* 

This episode contains discussions of alleged abuse, addiction, and trauma. it also contains strong language. Listener discretion is advised. 

If this episode raises anything for you, support services are listed in the show notes.

 

He doesn’t want you to know his name. But he wants you to hear his story.

In this episode, we speak to a man we’re calling X  a former schoolboy, now an adult still carrying the weight of what he says happened to him decades ago.

What begins as a story about football…
about mentorship…
about a trusted figure in a young boy’s life…

slowly unravels into something far darker.

X describes a relationship he says started with trust, encouragement, and validation — before shifting into behaviour he now understands as grooming.

At the time, he says he didn’t question it.He couldn’t.

Because this was someone in a position of power.
Someone respected.
Someone he believed was helping him.

Now, speaking from a rehab facility where he’s trying to rebuild his life, X opens up about the long-term impact the addiction, the mental health struggles, and the years of confusion, shame, and silence.

He also shares why he’s speaking now…
and what he believes others may still be holding onto.

If this episode is triggering, please pause and seek support. 


Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au


Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au


1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au

If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at podshape@proton.me

 

********Trigger and Content Warning*******&nbsp;
This episode contains discussions of alleged abuse, addiction, and trauma. it also contains strong language. Listener discretion is advised.&nbsp;
If this episode raises anything for you, support services are listed in the show notes.
&nbsp;
He doesn&rsquo;t want you to know his name.&nbsp;But he wants you to hear his story.
In this episode, we speak to a man we&rsquo;re calling X&nbsp; a former schoolboy, now an adult still carrying the weight of what he says happened to him decades ago.
What begins as a story about football&hellip; about mentorship&hellip; about a trusted figure in a young boy&rsquo;s life&hellip;
slowly unravels into something far darker.
X describes a relationship he says started with trust, encouragement, and validation &mdash; before shifting into behaviour he now understands as grooming.
At the time, he says he didn&rsquo;t question it.He couldn&rsquo;t.
Because this was someone in a position of power. Someone respected. Someone he believed was helping him.
Now, speaking from a rehab facility where he&rsquo;s trying to rebuild his life, X opens up about the long-term impact the addiction, the mental health struggles, and the years of confusion, shame, and silence.
He also shares why he&rsquo;s speaking now&hellip; and what he believes others may still be holding onto.
If this episode is triggering, please pause and seek support.&nbsp;
<ul data-start="1139" data-end="1515">
<li data-start="1139" data-end="1195">
Lifeline: 13 11 14 &mdash; <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au" data-start="1166" data-end="1193">https://www.lifeline.org.au</a>
</li>
<li data-start="1196" data-end="1261">
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 &mdash; <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au" data-start="1232" data-end="1259">https://kidshelpline.com.au</a>
</li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1328">
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 &mdash; <a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au" data-start="1296" data-end="1326">https://www.1800respect.org.au</a>
</li>
</ul>
If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at <a href="mailto:podshape@proton.me">podshape@proton.me</a>
&nbsp;

X - The Reynolds Victim Survivor 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/de023887-0fca-455e-bc83-b41700559aae/transcript

There’s a reason this episode took longer to release.

After our last episode aired, we were contacted by multiple independent sources urging us not to drop the story. What they shared raised new questions we couldn’t ignore.

In this episode, we follow a name that continues to surface in connection with events in Burnie decades ago.

We also examine new figures from Tasmania Police that reveal a growing number of serious internal complaints and a pattern that appears again and again inside the system.

Finally, we reveal the outcome of a Right to Information request seeking documents about a controversial decision involving multiple police deaths.

The department confirmed the documents exist.

But they won’t release them.

 

There&rsquo;s a reason this episode took longer to release.
After our last episode aired, we were contacted by multiple independent sources urging us not to drop the story. What they shared raised new questions we couldn&rsquo;t ignore.
In this episode, we follow a name that continues to surface in connection with events in Burnie decades ago.
We also examine new figures from Tasmania Police that reveal a growing number of serious internal complaints and a pattern that appears again and again inside the system.
Finally, we reveal the outcome of a Right to Information request seeking documents about a controversial decision involving multiple police deaths.
The department confirmed the documents exist.
But they won&rsquo;t release them.
&nbsp;

The Documents They Won’t Release

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/5e2522bd-7b35-4bb5-9166-b40c003bfae9/transcript

The Child Safety Gap Inside TASPOL

Badge of Betrayal

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Badge of Betrayal

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