Thousands of police officers accused of misconduct – including serious and sexual allegations – have escaped with advice to ‘go away and think about what you’ve done’.
Figures obtained by the Mail reveal that in the last three years at least 2,471 officers have been handed ‘reflective practice’ – which campaigners say is equivalent to being sent to ‘sit on the naughty step’ – after a misconduct probe.
Hundreds of the allegations were for abuse of position for a sexual purpose, sexual assault or harassment, as well as failing to report other officers’ inappropriate behaviour, or discrimination.
Cleveland Police referred officers who had been accused of ‘inappropriate touching when searching a detainee’, failing to report a rape accusation against a fellow officer, and harassing an ex-partner with ‘malicious’ messages.
Former policing minister, Conservative MP Mike Penning, said there should be ‘serious consequences’ for the culprits, including ‘the future of their job, rather than ‘go away and contemplate’.
Former policing minister, Conservative MP Mike Penning (pictured), said there should be ‘serious consequences’ for the culprits, including ‘the future of their job, rather than ‘go away and contemplate’.
Last week the Mail revealed that 2,000 rotten officers could face the sack following an overhaul of the disciplinary system. The National Police Chiefs Council said in March that of more than 1,500 officers accused of violence against women in a six-month period, only 13 were sacked (pictured: bad apples Adnan Arib, left, jailed for grooming and Jamie Lewis, right, jailed for taking pictures of dead bodies)
Andrea Simon, of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: ‘This data is the latest in a mountain of evidence showing that police officers accused of abusing their power to sexually harass, assault or abuse women and girls are not facing appropriate consequences’ (pictured: Wayne Couzens, left, jailed for Sarah Everard’s murder, and David Carrick, right, jailed for a series of rapes)
Last week the Mail revealed that 2,000 rotten officers could face the sack following an overhaul of the disciplinary system.
The National Police Chiefs Council said in March that of more than 1,500 officers accused of violence against women in a six-month period, only 13 were sacked.
Reflective practice is not disciplinary action and involves discussion with an officer’s line manager, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Women’s safety activist Jamie Klingler, said: ‘It’s the equivalent of having a three-year-old kid sit on the naughty step for four minutes. It doesn’t affect their route to promotion, it doesn’t affect their pension.’
Andrea Simon, of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: ‘This data is the latest in a mountain of evidence showing that police officers accused of abusing their power to sexually harass, assault or abuse women and girls are not facing appropriate consequences.’
Cleveland Police said reflective practice is used when ‘it has been determined that the case does not meet the threshold for formal misconduct proceedings’.
Rape victim tells of ‘liar’ ordeal
Reflective practice was handed to a Met officer who allegedly told a rape victim that most women who report such offences are ‘liars’.
Tashmia Owen, 44, who has waived her right to anonymity, made the ‘very difficult’ decision to report the attack but said her investigating officer ‘kept implying I was lying’.
She reported his conduct to a senior officer, who labelled his colleague a ‘dinosaur’, adding: ‘You can’t blame us for the response that we have if you see the amount of liars that come to our door.’
The senior officer was given reflective practice. No action was taken against the investigating officer.
Tashmia Owen (pictured), 44, who has waived her right to anonymity, made the ‘very difficult’ decision to report the attack but said her investigating officer ‘kept implying I was lying’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk