How can you fathom this?

One of the globe’s most respected police officers, who is lauded by the FBI, the Canadian police and European crimefighters, is being forced out of the Queensland police service.

And that has unfolded as another, whose claim to fame is allegedly shouting some immature, sexist and sickening remark that runs counter to every effort to mute domestic violence, returned to the warm embrace of the same service.

Yes, once the media was alerted to Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder’s return, he was off on leave again. But as soon as the media turns its head, he’ll be back.

Meanwhile Jon Rouse APM, the senior officer who has saved thousands of children from online predators and whose expertise is sought from the FBI regularly, is being sent packing this month.

The reason? He had the audacity to turn 60 – the mandatory retirement age for a Queensland police officer, who is not on contract.

This is preposterous.

I don’t know how old Ray Rohweder is, and Queensland police media say it is none of your business; they will not provide his age.

But it doesn’t really matter. Who would you prefer to have as a serving officer?

Any one of the senior officers, including the Commissioner, who are now knee-deep in accusations they have ignored serious and filthy sexism and racism in the service – and who seem unable to turn a culture that should disgust us all?

Or an officer, with 40 years experience, who is currently Covert Operations Manager at the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, chair of the Interpol Covert Internet Investigations Working Group, and Ambassador to the Daniel Morecombe and Carly Ryan foundations, Bravehearts and Act for Kids?

Rouse, who has led many global teams, was also Queensland Australian of the Year in 2019.

What short memories we have. Of course his knowledge won’t be lost – he’ll be providing lecturers to the FBI in the US later this month – but what a powerful example of our short sightedness, and the ongoing appalling performance of the State’s police service.

And why would a Government, now reading Judge Deborah Richards’ report on police response to domestic violence cases, eschew a good story, to give oxygen to the bad?

Insiders say they are struggling. Commissioner Katarina Carroll has tried her hardest, and they don’t want to give up on her. But, as one pointed out yesterday, continuing to support her might mean it doesn’t support another senior woman – Judge Deborah Richards.

Perhaps Police Minister Mark Ryan should pick up the phone to domestic violence groups, and hear the despair in the voice of those volunteers who spend their days and nights fighting this scourge.

They wonder if Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is paying lip service to domestic violence, whether we’ll ever get real change, and why officers who think some victims deserve to be attacked could possibly want to wear the police badge.

I wonder about the queue of politicians and senior police, who sat in the front row at the funeral of Hannah Clarke and her three gorgeous children, who should be apologising.

Each day, the behaviour of some in our police service is sinking the work of all those good men and women in blue.

How can we employ officers who want some in our society dead, because of their colour? Who laugh at victims of domestic violence? Who use their day job as a sexual harassment playground?

How long can Mark Ryan support the leadership of that service?

And does the government even know that one of the world’s best crime fighters – someone it made Queensland’s Australian of the Year in 2019 – is being forced to walk out the back door?

Not because of some shame he brought on the service. Or any allegation that could dent its image. Quite the contrary. He’s put the Queensland Police Service on the global map.

His crime? He’s simply turning 60.

Utterly unfathomable.