Former NSW Police Officers Jailed Over Brutal Assault on Mentally Ill Woman

Two former Sydney police officers, Timothy John Trautsch and Nathan Black, were sentenced to serve at least three years in prison for a brutal assault on a naked, mentally ill woman during a welfare check in January 2023. The officers used pepper spray on the woman's face and genitals, repeatedly kicked and stomped her, and dragged her by the hair in an 18-minute attack captured on body-worn camera and CCTV footage. The woman, suffering from schizophrenia and unmedicated at the time, was found bathing in a puddle and exhibiting psychotic behavior. Judge Graham Turnbull condemned the officers' actions as a "deliberate and ongoing attack" and described their conduct as "gratuitous cruelty" and "the most egregious breach of the law." Nathan Black also admitted to sharing video footage of the assault with a colleague, which added to the severity of his sentence. Acting NSW Police Commissioner David Hudson publicly denounced the officers' behavior as "unforgivable" and inconsistent with the values of the police force.