SA Police officers 'did not act appropriately' in handling of DV survivor's case

South Australia Police have admitted that three officers failed to act appropriately in their handling of the case involving domestic violence survivor Stella Magnisalis. Magnisalis endured repeated threats, degradation, and physical assaults from her then-husband, Matthew Alan Thomson, a police detective, between 2013 and 2018.

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At least they did look at it … I don't think I'll ever be satisfied with the sentencing or the way certain police officers conducted themselves.

Magnisalis reported multiple attempts to make official complaints about Thomson's behavior during this period. However, she felt unsupported by the police system, believing it had failed to protect her. The investigation into her case, conducted under the secretive Police Complaints and Discipline Act, has had its findings made public with permission from the Acting Police Commissioner.

"At least they did look at it … I don't think I'll ever be satisfied with the sentencing or the way certain police officers conducted themselves," Ms. Magnisalis stated. She described the experience of reporting abuse as "Russian Roulette," highlighting the inconsistent and often dismissive responses from officers, who sometimes cited insufficient evidence or advised her to return later, leading to lost opportunities.

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You never know, it's like Russian Roulette who you get on the other side of the police barricade ... sometimes they're quite dismissive, sometimes they say there's not enough evidence, sometimes they say come back and we'll speak to you at another time, you've lost an opportunity there and it's too late ... we're losing lives.

In response, a SA Police spokesperson confirmed that an investigation was launched after Thomson was sentenced last June to two years and three months in jail, with a 12-month non-parole period, for six counts of assault against Magnisalis. The investigation aimed to identify service delivery gaps and ensure officers followed SAPOL's operational response model. It examined the conduct of six officers; two received counseling for minor issues, and a third resigned during the investigation. The police acknowledged that three officers did not act appropriately regarding Ms. Magnisalis's matters, and disciplinary actions were taken accordingly.

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The investigation determined that three officers did not act appropriately in relation to Ms Magnisalis' matters.

Despite these acknowledgments, SA Police stated that no systemic failures were identified, and any issues found were addressed through accountability and disciplinary processes. However, Ms. Magnisalis believes significant cultural changes are still needed within SA Police to improve their handling of domestic violence cases.

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Where issues were identified, they have been addressed through established accountability and disciplinary processes.