Woman took on detective who unlawfully told witness she was pregnant — and won
Key takeaways
- Joanna Adams says she has lost trust in Victoria Police after a detective unlawfully told a witness she was pregnant.
- The detective would later argue it was reasonable in the circumstances to reveal the news of Ms Adams's pregnancy in order to progress the investigation.
- "I had in fact only completed my first ultrasound that exact same day," she wrote in a submission to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Joanna Adams says she has lost trust in Victoria Police after a detective unlawfully told a witness she was pregnant. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
Link copied Share Share article. A woman who says she suffered life-changing stress and anxiety — and later, the death of one of her babies — after a Victoria Police officer unlawfully disclosed to a criminal investigation witness that she was pregnant is waiving her right to privacy and speaking out as part of her fight for accountability.
Joanna Adams was blindsided when, in 2021, she learned her husband Andrew Adams, a Victoria Police officer, had been arrested for using internal police systems to contact and instigate romantic and sexual relationships with vulnerable women he had met through his work.