Fred Krahe

Frederick Claude Krahe (6 November 1919 – 6 December 1981) was an Australian New South Wales police officer and detective.

Among the many rumours and allegations about him, Krahe is alleged to have murdered prostitute and police informant Shirley Brifman in 1972, after his corrupt relationship with her was exposed. It is believed that Brifman's whistle-blowing was the true cause for Krahe's retirement from police work later the same year; the official reason given was that Krahe was "medically unfit".

Journalist David Hickie and others have also alleged that when they were both on the New South Wales force, Krahe and Ray "Gunner" Kelly were involved in the protection rackets that fed on Sydney's then illegal abortion industry.

Detective Superintendent Donald Fergusson, Krahe's protege and one-time partner, was killed by a bullet from his own service revolver in the lavatory of his office at Sydney's Police Administration Center in Campbell Street. Fergusson was under pressure from a prostitution investigation, and was rumoured to have been interested in talking to investigators. It was widely rumoured that Fergusson was in fact murdered by Krahe.

In seven months in 1971–1972, the Varley-Burton car gang stole $1.5 million in cars. The gang's chop shops began being raided in January 1972. Alan Burton disappeared on 7 February 1972. Put on trial for the murder, his partner Reg Varley claimed Fred Krahe received the majority of the $1.5 million, and killed Burton for stealing. Varley said he had been forced into the operation by police at gunpoint, and implicated dozens of CID officers in the scheme. He claimed two policemen, Krahe and Cyril Roy Edwards, were looking to give Burton 'a hiding' on 7 February for stealing $20,000. After Varley objected, Krahe kicked the one-legged man's crutch out from under him, assaulted him and took him along to pick up Burton, who was dragged out of eyesight. Then, Varley said, shots rang out, and presumably Burton was murdered.

After the longest New South Wales murder trial to that point in history, Varley was acquitted of murder by the jury, yet convicted of manslaughter. The Judge, Justice Issacs, was more than willing to acknowledge that, in his words, "One of the most disturbing features of the case was that not only the operation carried out under the nose of the motor squad but that it received the active co-operation of certain corrupt members of the police force who gave protection to the gang by being paid bribes periodically."

Justice Issacs was unwilling to believe Varley was a coerced victim on any level and sentenced him to 14 years. Varley screamed and berated the Judge as the sentence was read out, and as Varley's family tried to calm him, he was restrained by the same detective who had led the Burton investigation, Detective Sgt. RJ Douglass. Asked if he had anything to say, he launched into a 10-minute speech of incredulity at the verdict and the harsh sentence, before concluding that he had no choice but to accept it. He was paroled after six years, and steadfastly maintained his innocence. Varley's case became something of a celebrated cause even after he was released, with even noted Australian physician Dr. Bertram Wainer championing him.

John Laurence, a New South Wales Crown Prosecutor, launched an independent inquiry into the allegations in 1979. Laurence concluded that New South Wales policemen had funded and protected the operation. He named Fred Krahe and Cyril Roy Edwards in the report. The New South Wales Premier Neville Wran ordered a further inquiry. That inquiry recommended no charges be made.