Shirley Margaret Brifman (; 7 December 1935 – 4 March 1972) was an Australian sex worker and brothel madam who was known as a whistleblower on police corruption. She died at the age of 36 in suspicious circumstances, in what was ruled a

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

Early life

Brifman was born in

Atherton, Queensland Atherton is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Atherton had a population of 7,724 people. Geography Atherton is on the Atherton Tableland in ...

, the thirteenth child of Beatrice (née Currey) and James Emerson, a labourer. She began working as a barmaid after leaving school, and in 1957, she married Szama "Sonny" Brifman, a Polish-born hotel owner; they had four children together. Her career in prostitution had begun by at least the following year, when she was known to be working in a

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

brothel, under the alias "Marge Chapple".Dickie, Phil (1993)
Brifman, Shirley Margaret (1935–1972)
''

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

''. Retrieved 30 November 2017.

Brothel madam

Brifman moved to

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in 1963. She worked out of a hotel in the Kings Cross red-light district until 1968, when she began opening her own brothels. She ran establishments in

Potts Point Potts Point is a small and densely populated suburb in inner-city Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Local government in Australia, local government area o ...

and Elizabeth Bay, and claimed to be making up to $5,000 per week. Brifman operated under police protection, but in 1971 she and her husband were arrested and charged with prostitution offences. She appeared on ''

This Day Tonight ''This Day Tonight'' (TDT) was an Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and ...

'', a national television program, to make allegations of police corruption, and over the following months was interviewed by senior officers from both the

New South Wales Police The New South Wales Police Force is a law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia, established in 1862. With more than 17,000 police officers, it is the largest police organisation in Australia, policing an area of 801,60 ...

and

Queensland Police The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is the principal law enforcement agency responsible for policing the Australian state of Queensland. In 1990, the Queensland Police Force was officially renamed the Queensland Police Service and the old motto ...

. She named over fifty police figures (from both states) who had been involved in prostitution, but criminal charges were brought against only one officer – detective senior sergeant Tony Murphy was charged with

perjury Perjury (also known as forswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...

Death

Brifman died at a police

safe house A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is a dwelling place or building whose unassuming appearance makes it an inconspicuous location where one can hide out, take shelter, or conduct clandestine activities. Historical usage It may also refer to ...

Clayfield, Queensland Clayfield is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Clayfield had a population of 10,897 people. Geography Clayfield is by road from the Brisbane CBD. Clayfield is bordered to the north by Nundah, to the east by ...

in March 1972, aged 36. Her death came eighteen days before she was due to appear as chief witness in the trial of Tony Murphy; the case against him subsequently collapsed. The police gave her cause of death as "barbiturate intoxication", and the State Coroner declined to investigate further, as police advised there were "no suspicious circumstances". Brifman's family believed she had been murdered, and her husband ensured that her body was buried rather than cremated in case an exhumation was required. Allegations of murder were raised at the

Fitzgerald Inquiry The Commission of Inquiry into Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct (the Fitzgerald Inquiry; 1987–1989) into Queensland Police corruption was a judicial inquiry presided over by Tony Fitzgerald QC. The inquiry resulted ...

in the late 1980s, but no action was taken. However, Brifman's daughter Mary Anne continued to lobby the

Queensland government The Queensland Government is the state government of Queensland, Australia, a Parliament, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Government is formed by the party or coalition that has gained a majority in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, ...

for a further investigation, and in January 2017 the

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

, Yvette D'Ath, announced that the State Coroner would "make further inquiries" into her death and "determine whether an inquest should be held".Shirley Brifman: Coroner to investigate whether inquest should be done into 1972 death of Brisbane brothel madam
ABC News, 19 January 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brifman, Shirley 1935 births 1972 suicides 1972 deaths Australian brothel owners and madams Australian female prostitutes Australian whistleblowers People from Atherton, Queensland Drug-related suicides in Australia Suicides in Queensland

Early life

Brothel madam

Death

See also

References