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More than 1,500 police officers and staff were accused of abusing women, including rape and sexual harassment, over a six-month period, but less than 1 per cent have so far been sacked, new figures show.
Statistics collected for the first time from police forces across England and Wales show that only a quarter of misconduct investigations were concluded within the period, and just 13 people were dismissed.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) did not provide a full breakdown of the allegations made against police officers but said they included rape, sexual harassment, abuse of position for a sexual purpose, and domestic violence.
There were also complaints made by female suspects about the use of force by male officers, and by female police officers over the way they were treated by their colleagues.
Between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2022, the NPCC counted 1,177 cases of police violence against women and girls (VAWG) in total, of which 55 per cent were investigated as misconduct and 45 per cent were public complaints.
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A report published on Tuesday said: “It is almost certain that this does not represent the true scale of all improper or prejudicial behaviours towards women and girls.”
Many cases are still under investigation, but of those finalised, 70 per cent of conduct-related allegations and 91 per cent of complaints saw no further action.
A total of 1,539 police officers and staff were involved in the investigations, making up 0.7 per cent of the total workforce across England and Wales.
For the Metropolitan Police, which has been the focus of concerns sparked by Wayne Couzens and David Carrick, the figure was 0.5 per cent – with 217 individuals in conduct cases and 28 subject to public complaints.
Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, the national police coordinator for VAWG, said a string of horrific cases had created a “moment in time to see and recognise this as a threat to our society, and to turn the tables on men who are violent towards women”.
She told a press conference that the NPCC was calling on the government to change regulations in order to make it easier to dismiss officers who have been accused – even if not convicted – of mistreating women.
The body has asked the Home Office to toughen up existing processes, including barring anyone who has been either convicted or cautioned from policing, and re-vetting those accused of crimes against women.
✕David Carrick: Rishi Sunak says police 'must address failings’ to protect women
The NPCC is also encouraging chief constables to use accelerated misconduct hearings to speed up dismissals.
“We need to have ways to get rid of these people,” Detective Chief Constable Blyth said. “As we call this out, more people are more confident to report, and more allegations are coming in.”
A national threat assessment of the scale of violence against women and girls will be made next month, after it was added to sectors including terrorism and child sex abuse in the government’s “strategic policing requirement”.
The Centre for Women’s Justice, which triggered a damning review of police-perpetrated domestic abuse, said the figures show the “serious extent of police sexual misconduct and other forms of violence and misogyny towards women”.
“The small percentage of cases resulting in misconduct action remains concerning,” a spokesperson added. “We saw in the Couzens and Carrick cases that the failure to take action or link repeated reports can have devastating consequences.”
Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said the statistics “are the latest in a tidal wave of evidence showing the shocking number of police officers getting away with perpetrating violence against women and girls”.
She added: “It’s clear from these latest national figures that very often, there are no meaningful consequences for police officers and staff who abuse women. In fact, these figures show that a lack of accountability is the norm, not the exception.
“We’re clear that this data is just the tip of the iceberg, given that many women choose not to report VAWG to the police.”
There are plans to set up a national helpline, possibly run by a charity, to allow women to report offences without having to contact the police directly.
Farah Nazeer, the chief executive of Women’s Aid, said the figures were “completely unacceptable” but that the publication showed steps were being taken towards a “desperately needed transformation” in policing.
“This data shows the staggering scale of violence against women and girls, and how far we are from ensuring women and children truly are safe – just 6 per cent of more than half a million cases were closed with a suspect charged,” she added. “These statistics have deeply worrying implications for women’s already low levels of trust in the criminal justice system.”
The case of David Carrick showed how he was allowed to remain in the force despite numerous reports of domestic abuse and other incidents
(PA Media)
The NPCC said it would publish the figures annually as part of a new framework around violence against women and girls, and that work to strengthen both vetting and standards investigations was ongoing.
Detective Chief Constable Blyth acknowledged that women’s trust in policing was “threadbare”, and warned: “I don’t think this change is going to be overnight. This is about our accountability to women and girls … transformational change is going to take time.”
The statistics were released as a trawl of the police national database continues to check for any intelligence or allegations against serving police officers and staff.
New national vetting guidelines are also under consultation, and the Metropolitan Police announced on Monday that it had launched an initiative to re-vet anyone whose “behaviour is identified as being of concern”.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “An internal review into police dismissals is underway to ensure that the system is fair and effective at removing those officers who fall below the standards we expect.
“We are committed to supporting officers to strengthen their response to these heinous crimes, which is why last month we said police must treat violence against women and girls as a national threat.”
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