By Hayley Gleeson

Topic: Police

Monday, June 8, 2026, at 5:00 am

Joanna Adams says she lost trust in Victoria Police after a detective told a witness she was pregnant.

A woman is speaking out after a Victoria Police officer told a witness she was pregnant, causing her stress and anxiety.

Joanna Adams found out her husband, a police officer, had been arrested for using police systems to contact women he met through work.

A witness in the case told Joanna that a detective had shared her pregnancy news, which she had just found out that day.

The detective said sharing the news was necessary for the investigation, but Joanna disagreed.

Joanna wrote that learning about the disclosure was devastating, especially since she had just had her first ultrasound.

Joanna feels used by the police and says they did not protect or respect her.

A tribunal ruled in Joanna's favor, saying the police had broken the law by sharing her health information.

The police had tried to block Joanna's case using expensive lawyers and questionable tactics.

The police were found to have put up many obstacles to prevent Joanna from getting justice.

The tribunal awarded Joanna $28,000 in damages, saying the police had taken away her joy.

The police's actions made Joanna's grief over the loss of one of her babies even harder.

Joanna visits her baby's grave and remembers the pain the police caused her.

The tribunal was critical of the police for putting up many obstacles to prevent Joanna from getting justice.

The police's defense was mostly about the suspect and included extra information that was not relevant.

The police appealed the tribunal's decision but later dropped it.

Joanna says she feels broken by the police's actions.

Joanna was more angry at the police for sharing her pregnancy news than at her husband.

The police used Joanna as bait to get the witness to cooperate, which put her in a risky position.

Joanna was angry and upset that the police did not care about her or protect her.

Joanna pursued her case to hold the police accountable and get an apology.

The damages Joanna received were a small part of what she spent on legal fees and counseling.

Joanna feels the police's actions caused her stress and anxiety, which may have contributed to the loss of one of her babies.

Joanna is speaking out to make sure the police are held accountable for their actions.

Joanna wants people to know what they might face if they deal with the police.

The police's actions were a defense against Joanna's claims.

Joanna's case was sent to the tribunal because the police would not cooperate with mediation.

The police first said Joanna's pregnancy was not health information, but later agreed it was.

The police argued that sharing Joanna's pregnancy news was necessary for the investigation.

The police said the witness needed to know about Joanna's pregnancy to understand the extent of her husband's lies.

The police first said they did not collect or use Joanna's health information, but later changed their story.

The police said any stress Joanna felt was caused by her husband's actions, not by the police sharing her pregnancy news.

The police said Joanna and her husband had already shared the news of her pregnancy with others.

A lawyer says the police used every possible defense against Joanna.

The police used a barrister against Joanna, who was representing herself.

The lawyer says the police should review their policies and revisit Joanna's complaint.

The police should not be able to use private health information in investigations, says the lawyer.

The lawyer says people like Joanna should not be hurt by the police's actions.

The real tragedy is that the police hurt another woman while trying to hold an officer accountable.

The health complaints commissioner could not comment on the specifics of the case.

The commissioner encourages people to understand and follow the rules about health information.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said they could not comment due to ongoing legal matters.

Monday, June 8, 2026, at 5:00 am

Monday, June 8, 2026, at 9:35 am

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