Coroner urges stronger PTSD support for South Australian police officers

A South Australian coroner has recommended stronger psychological support for police officers after finding that Senior Constable Benjamin Warren was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder before his death in 2022. State Coroner Naomi Kereru said Warren’s death could not have been prevented, but warned that this did not mean the police force should make no changes. She identified a gap in support for officers who conceal or mask mental-health difficulties.

Warren, a 35-year-old father of two, was found dead at the South Australia Police Academy after his former wife raised concerns about his safety. The coroner found that his PTSD was related to exposure to critical incidents during his police service. The inquest considered the significance of a double-fatal crash Warren attended in 2014.

The crash involved a driver who deliberately collided with another vehicle and was later convicted of two murders. Warren had referred to the incident shortly before his death. Kereru made four recommendations, including increased promotion of confidential treatment and self-referral services, and an electronic system to record repeated exposure to potentially traumatic tasks.

She also recommended mandatory psychological or psychiatric reviews for officers reaching a threshold level of exposure. The coroner said reviews could include information from a partner or next of kin with the officer’s consent. Police Minister Michael Brown offered sympathies to Warren’s family and said the recommendations would be considered with the police commissioner.