Woman accuses female detective of pushing her to withdraw rape complaint before hospital tests A FEMALE Detective Senior Constable from Toowoomba has been accused of "coercing" a woman into withdrawing her rape complaint before she was examined at a hospital. The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard it was alleged that after Senior Constable Elizabeth Baldock spoke to the woman for half an hour, repeatedly referring to her state of intoxication, the woman withdrew her complaint. The Crime and Misconduct Commission has asked a QCAT member to find Sen-Constable Baldock guilty of misconduct and reduce her pay for a year. The long-serving officer was only reprimanded for a disciplinary breach, after an Assistant Commissioner found she did not intend to get the woman to withdraw the complaint. The Assistant Commissioner found it was a case of poor communication between the officer and the complainant at Toowoomba Base Hospital in mid-2011, the tribunal was told. But counsel for the CMC, Michael Copley QC, told a tribunal hearing that evidence from a first-year constable at the hospital and the complainant supported the alleged coercion. They both alleged Sen-Constable Baldock's first words to the complainant were: "This is going to be hard and fast," QCAT heard. Mr Copley said the Constable claimed for the next half-hour Sen-Constable Baldock, who was not the investigating officer, focused on obtaining a withdrawal of the complaint. Sen-Constable Baldock, who was there only to facilitate the medical examination and collect exhibits, spoke to the woman before her exam and before the crime scene probe was complete, QCAT heard. Mr Copley said the complainant claimed Sen-Constable Baldock said words to the effect: "Sometimes people do silly things when they are drunk and this is a serious offence." "Her perception was the officer didn't believe she had been raped," he said. Not knowing what the medical examination might discover (she) came in and from the outset tried to get the complainant to withdraw the allegation. Sen-Constable Baldock denied trying to coerce the woman. Police Union lawyer Calvin Gnech told the tribunal: "This is an issue of communication skills, rather than an attempt to pervert the course of justice." Mr Oliver reserved his decision.