An Australian state police chief apologized to the Jewish community on Saturday after a police sergeant allegedly performed an outlawed Nazi salute. The 65-year-old instructor on domestic violence policy and law at the Victoria state police academy in Melbourne is facing charges for the gesture and for praising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler with the words, "Heil Hitler" on Tuesday and Wednesday in front of academy staff and recruits, said Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, per the AP.
"I want to express just here at the outset my disappointment, my disgust, my anger at this appalling conduct," Patton told a press conference. The police officer, whose name has not been released, has more than 40 years of service. She has been suspended from duty and interviewed by professional standards investigators on Saturday. The offense carries a potential maximum penalty of 12 months in prison and a fine of up to 23,000 Australian dollars ($16,000). The officer does not have a history of extreme views and her motives were unknown.
Performing Nazi gestures and displaying Nazi symbols such as the swastika have been banned by various state and federal laws since 2022. The scandal comes during a week in which Melbourne judge told self-described Nazi Jacob Hersant that he will become the first person in Australia to be sentenced to prison for performing the same banned gesture when the 25-year-old appears in court next month. In June, three soccer fans were fined for performing the salute during a Sydney match. The men were the first convicted in Australia for such offenses and have lodged appeals.
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