‘Sarah Everard’s legacy’: Police sexual misconduct complaints soar by almost 50% in wake of murder

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Allegations of police sexual harassment and assault have soared by almost 50 per cent for the reason that rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer, The Independent can reveal.

Analysis of police watchdog figures by this publication has uncovered a dramatic spike in experiences from members of the general public about police sexual misconduct, with 293 complaints made in opposition to officers and employees final yr.

The complete contains greater than 200 allegations of sexual assault, 20 accounts of sexual harassment and 65 complaints recorded as “other sexual conduct” in opposition to forces in England and Wales in 2022-2023.

This is up from 199 sexual conduct complaints lodged with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) three years earlier – when police corruption was dramatically thrust into the limelight after Ms Everard was kidnapped and murdered by Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens.

Former police chief Sue Fish warned: “Sadly, too many women are seen as a commodity by police officers and commodities to abuse.”

Labour MP Jess Phillips known as for a “sea change” in police vetting to stamp out misogyny, including there are nonetheless too many instances of forces “marking their own homework”.

The Independent can even report:

Ms Fish, who was the primary chief constable to ever document misogyny as a hate crime, stated the rising numbers of girls coming ahead to report abuse are “Sarah Everard’s legacy” after her dying ignited debate over police corruption and triggered a assessment of tradition and requirements on the Met by Baroness Louise Casey, who concluded the pressure is institutionally misogynistic.

But she fears the numbers are solely the “tip of the iceberg” as many victims of police-perpetrated sexual abuse will nonetheless not really feel protected to report their attacker, whereas campaigners warned sexual abuse is undermining belief in policing.

Ms Fish informed The Independent: “You could say this is Sarah Everard’s legacy if you like – of women saying actually, this isn’t acceptable. And some women, but not all women, are increasingly able to stand up and say this is what’s happened to me – particularly in light of Baroness Casey’s review.

“They are saying they are absolutely fed up of being treated so appalling by people who are supposed to protect them and uphold the law and more power to them for calling it out.”

Ms Fish, who was awarded an OBE for companies to policing earlier than she retired as chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police in 2017, stated most officers are becoming a member of the pressure to do good however that they swim in a pool which is “deeply misogynistic”.

“There is a failure in policing and in government to accept that the barrel is rotten,” she added. “If you can’t trust in the very institution who are meant to protect you, the whole system has failed.”

Ms Phillips, who was shadow minister for home violence and safeguarding, informed The Independent: “There has got to be a sea change in vetting and disciplinary procedures within police. If we have any chance of rebuilding confidence for women in the police, this cannot wait and the government must ensure that every force is handling every case appropriately and ensuring independence in the process.

“At the moment, there are still too many cases of forces marking their own homework when it comes to domestic and sexual abuse allegations.”

The figures present some 24 complaints have been made in opposition to police and employees at Thames Valley Police, whereas 15 have been logged for each Greater Manchester and Nottinghamshire Police. West Midlands recorded 11 complaints, whereas 10 have been logged in opposition to Essex Police.

An extra 74 complaints have been made of police abusing their place for a sexual function final yr, though this isn’t recorded underneath “sexual conduct” by the police watchdog.

Despite the uptick in referrals from police forces to the IOPC in the years since Couzens was uncovered, the watchdog’s capability stays restricted to round 300 unbiased investigations annually, which means it’s compelled to make tough trade-offs over which instances it chooses to pursue in opposition to officers.

The figures come after a former Cheshire Constabulary officer was this week discovered responsible of abusing his place for a sexual function after he had intercourse with a weak home abuse sufferer throughout a police go to to her home in 2021. PC Jordan Masterson, 28, is because of be sentenced subsequent month at Chester Crown Court.

The Met additionally this week introduced PC Muhammed Miah had been charged with sexually assaulting a girl whereas off responsibility in January 2020. He is because of seem at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court subsequent week accused of one depend of sexual assault by touching.

Met officer PC Andrej Sagaidak was additionally due in courtroom accused of two counts of rape, one depend of non-fatal strangulation and one depend of inflicting precise bodily hurt in opposition to a person in north London on New Year’s Day.

Harriet Wistrich, director of the Centre for Women’s Justice, stated whereas the give attention to current instances could also be encouraging extra girls to come back ahead, there’s nonetheless a protracted option to go for confidence in police to be restored.

She informed The Independent: “The massive spike in complaints is extremely concerning.

“The extent of police sexual misconduct is undermining women’s trust in the police and tells us there is a long way to go before confidence can begin to be restored.”

Meanwhile, Patsy Stevenson, 31, who was dramatically pinned to the bottom by police at a vigil for Ms Everard in March 2021 revealed she now not trusts the police.

The former physics pupil stated her life was remodeled after she was thrust into the talk when footage of her arrest made front-page information.

“It has been three years [since she was arrested at the Sarah Everard vigil] and I am still having to talk about this stuff and it is really sad,” she informed The Independent.

“I think police have shown time and time again that they have perpetrators in the police and when women report issues, they are often met with victim-blaming. I just feel like police have still not held up their hands and been held accountable. We have not seen anything change at all.”

Anna Birley, co-founder of Reclaim These Streets – which organised the Sarah Everard vigil – stated the necessity for wholesale police reform is extra pressing than ever.

“Sexual assault and harassment is unacceptable in any context but it is even more serious and chilling when it’s so prevalent among the ranks of those who are tasked with keeping us safe,” she added.

“There appears to be no urgency and no accountability in British policing when this level of misogyny and misconduct is allowed to fester and flourish unchecked.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council stated forces take complaints from members of the general public “very seriously” and insisted “change is happening” to sort out misogyny.

“We are fully committed to making sure those individuals who are not fit to wear the uniform are identified and removed from our forces,” a spokesperson informed The Independent.

“Chief constables are continuing to bring forward serious cases which sanction or remove those who badly let the public down. This approach underlines our commitment to uphold high standards expected by the public.

“All forces have dedicated professional standards departments which investigate complaints against officers and staff. These departments work to strict guidelines, operate confidential reporting phone lines for both the public and colleagues to raise concerns and are regularly independently inspected. They proactively act upon intelligence to weed out the very small number of officers who do not uphold the standards of the service.

“Action is being taken and change is happening. We are working towards delivering those long-term improvements to standards and culture we have promised.”