Badge of Betrayal

****Content Warning:****
This episode discusses alleged child sexual abuse and includes some graphic descriptions drawn from official Commission evidence. The content may be triggering or distressing. We encourage listeners to prioritise their well-being and pause or skip this episode if needed.

This isn’t hindsight. It’s a timeline.

In Episode 14, we go back inside the Ashley Youth Detention Centre and lay out the documented overlap appointments, movements, and professional relationships that now sit beside sworn Commission evidence.

As RTI requests unfold and more insiders come forward, this investigation keeps widening.

Because sometimes the most important question isn’t what happened.

It’s who knew and when.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode a second current serving police officer comes forward. They attended Reynolds funeral and have their own experience inside Taspol. 

We also explore the links between Reynolds, James Griffin and the U-turn program that ran between 2003- 2013 in Tasmania.   

For clarity Mission Australia delivered the U Turn program as a contracted provider within a government-led youth justice initiative. The allegations discussed in this episode relate to former police officers and individuals, not Mission Australia or its staff. Mission Australia did not employ Paul Reynolds and had no role in supervising his conduct.

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In the this fast tracked new episode, On Thursday Feb 12th - The Greens have called for a Parliamentary Inquiry into theReynolds matter after fresh information from the Badge of Betrayal podcast.

 

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Up until now, we haven’t been able to secure an interview with a family member of Reynolds — but in this episode, that changes.

Speaking under the protection of anonymity, a verified source takes us inside the Reynolds family unit, offering rare insight into what was happening behind closed doors.

We also speak with Tom Wallace-Pannell from Maliganis Edwards Johnson, the lawyer representing victim-survivors of Reynolds’ offending across decades in Tasmania. You can contact them here 

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This episode exposes how youth sport and positions of authority were used as gateways to abuse in Tasmania for Reynolds and others. 

Through the Weiss Review, survivor testimony, and a firsthand account from a former player, we examine how trust, reputation, and police power created unchecked access to children — and a culture of silence inside change rooms.

We also investigate the U-Turn program and the unresolved questions surrounding those involved.

Mission Australia delivered the U Turn program as a contracted provider within a government-led youth justice initiative. The allegations discussed in this episode relate to former police officers and individuals, not Mission Australia or its staff. Mission Australia did not employ Paul Reynolds and had no role in supervising his conduct.

If this episode is triggering, please pause and seek support. 

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au

• 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au

If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at [email protected]

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we examine how institutions respond when serious allegations emerge inside their own ranks. Drawing on Right to Information documents, parliamentary records and broadcast interviews, we trace the timeline that led to a full police funeral for the late Paul Reynolds in September 2018 at a time when professional standards investigations were already underway. This is not a story about assigning personal blame, but about process, timing and decision-making, and how actions taken in the moment can be judged very differently years later.

If this episode is triggering, please pause and seek support. 

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au

• 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au

If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of alleged child sexual abuse and institutional violence. Some content may be distressing. Listener discretion is advised. Support resources are listed in the show notes.

In this episode of Badge of Betrayal, we return to Alysha, the whistleblower who helped expose abuse at Tasmania’s Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

For the first time, we also hear from a former detainee, now an adult, who speaks anonymously about his experiences inside the centre. His voice has been altered and identifying details removed.

This conversation was approached with care, expert guidance, and a clear public-interest purpose. It explores power, accountability, and the lasting impact of institutional failure  while centring the courage it takes to speak when silence once felt safer.

If this episode is triggering, please pause and seek support. 

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au

• 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au

If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven referrals. Five known to police before 2024. Two still active. As insiders speak anonymously and integrity reforms are proposed, the question remains: does Tasmania need a Commission of Inquiry to uncover what still hasn’t been told?

If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at [email protected]

If you’d like to hear episodes ad-free and early, subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.

If this episode has raised difficult feelings for you, support is available:

You can have your say on the Integrity Commission Amended Bill Proposal here

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we examine how Paul Reynolds’ police honours funeral was approved.

Through Right to Information documents, we look at how the decision was made, who was involved, and what was known at the time. The episode also returns to the final sitting day in Parliament, where Dr Rosalie Woodruff raised further questions about unresolved issues surrounding Reynolds and the institutional response to his conduct before and after his death.

Using official records and parliamentary proceedings, this episode continues our examination of how decisions were made and why key questions remain unanswered.

This episode references extracts from official Right to Information documents and parliamentary proceedings. These materials are presented for context only. No wrongdoing is alleged

If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at [email protected]

If you’d like to hear episodes ad-free and early, subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.

If this episode has raised difficult feelings for you, support is available:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au

• 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

****A content warning before we begin: this episode contains references to suicide and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised. Help is available below *******

In this episode, we uncover the hidden financial secrets of Paul Reynolds, from alleged theft from his own mother to casino withdrawals, gambling debts, and desperate pleas for fast cash just days before his death. As the timeline tightens, disturbing questions emerge about where the money went, who Reynolds was connected to, and what police knew and when.

This chapter takes us through the night of the raid on Reynolds’ home, the procedural failures that followed, and the chilling final hours that ended his life, revealing a system riddled with missed opportunities and unanswered questions.

If you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at [email protected]

If you’d like to hear episodes ad-free and early, subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.

If this episode has raised difficult feelings for you, support is available:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au

• 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.