A third of the police force referred allegations of sexual assault to an oversight body | Violence against women and girls

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Nearly a third of police forces in England and Wales referred allegations of sexual assault and harassment against their officers to the police watchdog in the days following the sentencing of Wayne Cousins ​​for the murder of Sarah Everard, the Observer revealed.

The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) received 27 detailed referrals involving officers and serious sexual offenses in the week after Couzens was sentenced to life in prison on September 30 for the kidnapping, rape and murder of Everard while on duty.

The allegations involve 14 individuals in England and Wales and will once again raise questions about the culture of misogyny, aggressive behavior and poor professional standards in policing.

The watchdog said the number of referrals was a “significant increase” from previous weeks, although it was unclear whether the cases were new or already on the troops’ books and were only passed after the uproar over Everard’s case that led to calls for police reform and more. Actions to address violence against women.

The IOPC investigated five serving officers and the Couzens for distributing common “discriminatory” messages – including anti-women content – that were discovered during the investigation of Everard’s murder.

On Friday, a Nottinghamshire police officer was fired following an investigation by the watchdog after sending sexual messages to a vulnerable woman he had stopped for a possible driving offense.

Days earlier, another Dover Police officer was fired after entering into an inappropriate relationship with a woman – again deemed vulnerable – whom he met through his duties.

Claire Bassett, deputy director general of the IOPC, which investigates 43 forces and others such as the Department of Defense police and the civilian nuclear police, praised all individuals who have come forward to testify against serving police officers.

“Reporting any sexual offense takes incredible strength and courage, but it is even more difficult when the alleged perpetrator is a police officer,” she said.

“Those who disregard the oath they swear to protect and serve can expect the criminal justice system to treat them no differently than any other criminal.”

She said that if anyone had previously reported a sexual offense or abuse of power against an officer but felt their case had been swept under the rug, they should urgently register a complaint with the watchdog.

Meanwhile, Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor of London for Police and Crime, said it was essential to make it easier for officers to call in colleagues’ behaviour. “The Met has a support program for people who want to come forward as whistleblowers and that’s important. This work really needs stepping up,” she said.

Louise Casey was brought in by the Met to eradicate lax standards. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer

It was announced Friday that the Metropolitan Police is bringing in former Whitehall problem analyst Louise Casey to root out misogyny and lax norms in an effort to restore the collapse of trust caused by its mishandling of the Cousins ​​case.

Details have since emerged of how London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Priti Patel cross political divides to help persuade the force by announcing a review of the force’s professional standards and internal culture.

Last Saturday, two days after the Couzens’ sentencing, city council sources told the Observer how Khan questioned the Met commissioner, Cressida Dick, about the mess the force found itself in and told her that an independent review must happen quickly.

News emerged the next day that a Met officer from the same unit as the Couzens had been arrested for rape, leading to a late-night phone call between Khan and Patel who agreed that something major should be announced.

This led directly to Patel on Tuesday announcing an investigation into “systematic failures” that had allowed Cousins ​​to continue to serve as a police officer.

The source added that Casey’s appointment to lead the review into the Met’s internal culture was quickly approved by all parties.

They added, “We thought Casey was a great choice, someone with good credentials who could hold people accountable and that was felt by all parties.” He has Patel’s support and can be released by Christmas.

However, within hours Labor activists and figures criticized the government-backed proposal as a “thorny solution” that fundamentally misunderstands the issue of violence against women.

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