The Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said she is “shocked and horrified” after a New South Wales police officer was charged with making an offensive and threatening phone call to her earlier this year.
On Friday the Australian federal police charged a Sydney police officer with using a carriage service to “menace, harass [or] offend” after a phone call made to Hanson-Young in July.
He was charged after officers searched his home in south-west Sydney. In a statement, NSW police said the officer was “not currently performing duties” and that it would “review [his] employment status”.
The 56-year-old senior constable is due to face court in November.
Hanson-Young has previously said she faced a number of threats after she publicly condemned her fellow senator David Leyonhjelm for comments he made about her in June.
The Senate passed a censure motion against Leyonhjelm for “derogatory, defamatory and sexist” statements about Hanson-Young during a debate in the parliament. The comments are the subject of defamation proceedings.
Hanson-Young said the threats allegedly made by the officer were about her daughter.
“I am shocked & horrified as any mum would be to find out the man responsible for an abusive vile threat to my daughter is allegedly a police officer,” she said on Twitter on Sunday.
“I’m thankful to the AFP for doing their jobs investigating & bringing the matter to court. No one should have to put up with this.”
Hanson-Young is suing Leyonhjelm for defamation, accusing him of attacking her character and causing her “considerable harm” in statements he made about her views on men. When he refused to withdraw the comments she accused him of “slut-shaming” her.
