Police probe into officer’s posts after Albany rock fishing tragedy
An internal investigation has been launched into comments made by a police officer on the Albany Advertiser Facebook page in the wake of the tragic loss of Geoffrey Bignell and Victoria McCloy.
Mr Bignell, 20, and Ms McCloy, 22, went missing on November 23 during a rock fishing trip to the Bald Head area.
A land, air and sea search was conducted over the following week.
A body believed to be that of Mr Bignell was recovered on Friday, but Ms McCloy has not been found.
The internal investigation stems from exchanges between an Albany police officer and others on the Advertiser Facebook page.
The comments were made on a story about police divers suspending their search for Ms McCloy’s body.
The officer has been accused of using derogatory language, including to people known to the McCloy family.
Great Southern Superintendent Ian Clarke said he wanted to apologise to Ms McCloy’s family if they had suffered more grief as a result of the exchanges.
“We have spoken to the officer and he’s already remorseful,” Supt Clarke said.
“As a police officer he’s bound by the values of WA Police and it’s certainly not within the values, the way he’s responded in some instances on social media.”
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