Police: Hundreds of allegations of sexual misconduct against active duty officers, data reveal | UK news

[ad_1]

Hundreds of allegations of sexual misconduct were directed against police officers serving across Britain between 2016 and 2020.

At least 750 charges were brought against the officers during that time, according to 31 police force numbers obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

The data shows that complaints can relate to historical allegations and most of them were against male officers.

Photo: People in the crowd light their phone torches as they gather in Clapham Common, London, for a vigil by Sarah Everard

The responses did not indicate whether the officers were on duty at the time of the alleged incidents.

Of the total number of troops recorded over the past five years, at least 34 have resulted in their demobilization.

An officer is listed as having either resigned or been fired in at least seven cases, while at least six officers would have been fired if they had not resigned first.

At least one officer resigned prior to a misconduct hearing and in another case, the officer was listed as deceased.

Separate publicly available data reveals that Mit Police registered more than 500 complaints of sexual offenses against both officers and employees, while Surrey Police registered 36 allegations of sexual misconduct against its officers during the same period.

Photo: Sarah Everard was killed by police officer Wayne Cousins

It comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel announced an independent investigation to look into “systematic failures” that allowed Sarah Everard’s killer, Wayne Cousins, to serve as a police officer.

The Coalition to End Violence Against Women, which includes groups such as Rape Crisis, Refugees and Women’s Aid, said few officers face “any meaningful consequences” for violence against women and girls.

Deputy Director Denzie Ogor said: “We need to see a fundamental overhaul of how police respond to violence against women – particularly within their own ranks.

“This means greater accountability and urgent, coordinated and strategic action to address violence against women.

“Ultimately, we need to address these widespread institutional failures before we can even begin to address women’s trust in the police.”

Photo: Priti Patel announces investigation into ‘systematic failures’

The Independent Office of Police Conduct, which oversees the police complaints system, said the forces were responsible for “eliminating” any abuse of police powers.

A police spokesperson said: “The abuse of police powers for purposes of sexual exploitation or violence has a devastating impact on victims, and seriously affects the public’s trust in individual officers and the service in general.

“It is critical to have effective systems in place to prevent, monitor and deal quickly with anyone who abuses this trust.

“In the context of the police force, this behavior is a form of corruption and should be treated as such.

“Every reported case represents a serious betrayal of the trust individuals should have in the police. It is behavior that cannot be justified or condoned.”

Catch up on daily broadcasts on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Spreaker

A Home Office spokesperson said: “As the public rightly expects, we take police integrity seriously and have already taken steps to reform police complaints and discipline systems in order to increase transparency and accountability.”

. replies

These are the responses of 31 police forces in Britain, with some allegations relating to more than one officer, although an officer may also be involved in more than one case.

Avon and Somerset Police:

12 claims related to 15 officers

Male (11), female (2), unknown (2)

Bedfordshire Police:

3 lawsuits against male officers

Cambridgeshire Police:

10 claims related to 15 officers

Male (9), Female (4), Unknown (2)

Cheshire Police:

10 lawsuits against male officers

Cleveland Police:

13 claims, no sexual details of the officer given

Cumbria Police:

29 claims

Male (27), female (2)

Derbyshire Police:

15 claims

Male (13), Unknown (2)

Devon and Cornwall Police:

29 claims relating to 35 officers

Male (27), Female (2), Unknown (6)

Dorset Police:

3 prompts

Male (2), Unknown (1)

Durham Police:

17 claims relating to 23 officers

Male (22), Unknown (1)

– Gloucestershire Police

7 lawsuits against male officers

Greater Manchester Police:

158 claims

Male (130), female (11), unknown (17)

– Joint Police:

2 claims

female (1), unknown (1)

Hampshire Police:

38 cases against male officers

Hertfordshire Police:

27 complaints – but the sexual division was only provided to the 26 officers involved in 24 closed cases

Male (21), Female (1), Unknown (4)

Humberside Police:

8 claims, no sexual details given to the officer

Kent Police:

23 claims relating to 25 officers

Male (24), female (1)

Lancashire Police:

26 claims

Male (25), Unknown (1)

Leicestershire Police:

20 claims relating to 26 officers

Male (at least 20), female (at least 1), unclear (3)

Lincolnshire Police:

17 suits against male officers

Merseyside Police:

9 claims related to 16 officers

Male (14), Female (1), Unknown (1)

Norfolk Police:

9 prompts

Male (seven), unknown (2)

North Wales Police:

13 claims

Male (12), female (1)

Northumbria Police:

31 suits against male officers

Scotland Police:

64 complaints, no sexual details given to the officer

South Wales Police:

25 claims relating to 26 officers

Male (20), female (1), unknown (5)

Staffordshire Police:

11 claims

Male (6), Unknown (5)

Suffolk Police:

14 claims relating to 18 officers

Male (14), Female (1), Unknown (3)

Sussex Police:

15 complaints

Male (9), Female (4), Unknown (2)

Thames Valley Police:

91 suits against 99 police officers and employees

Male (85), Female (6), Unknown (8)

Wiltshire Police:

6 lawsuits against male officers

[ad_2]