A winner British police officer is secretly investigated for alleged sex crimes. The officer works in a senior position for one of the UK’s largest police forces and has previously played a role in setting standards in child sexual abuse investigations. He has been accused by a woman of committing serious sexual crimes that she says took place in 2015 and 2016. The identity of the officer and the police force he works for remain unknown.
However, both the details of the case and the man’s identity have been kept secret in accordance with legal precedent.
In the United Kingdom, the identity of the suspects in a crime case is not revealed until charges have been brought, as this would otherwise be regarded as an infringement of their right to privacy and family life.
High-level sources have confirmed this to the Mail Online that the officer was a suspect in the investigation, and the police watchdog said he received a referral from his police about one of his senior officers.
The investigative service said it had spoken to a suspect, although no arrest had been made at this time.
It is believed that the officer was not formally interviewed under caution and that he strongly denies the allegations.
The officer has not been suspended despite the ongoing investigation, prompting a furious reaction from campaigners against violence against women.
Deniz Uour, deputy director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, told MailOnline it was concerning that a senior officer under investigation for such serious crimes could escape public scrutiny and keep his job.
She also called for greater public scrutiny and accountability of UK police forces.
“We need to see the police show that they take reports of sex crimes seriously, especially reports against police officers and staff,” she said.
“The fact that an officer of such power and seniority still appears to be working and potentially having access to vulnerable people while investigations are conducted illustrates the lack of meaningful consequences facing police officers.”
The investigation comes in response to a number of high-profile cases of police brutality against women.
In February, former police officer David Carrick was sentenced by Southwark Crown Court to a minimum sentence of 32 years less time in custody.
He pleaded guilty to 85 serious crimes, including 48 rapes, committed over a 17-year period between 2003 and 2020.
His case followed on the heels of that of another former Met police officer Wayne Couzens.
The 50-year-old pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of Sarah Everard, 33, in March 2021.
He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment on September 30, 2021.
Mr Couzens was also recently sentenced to a further 19 months in prison for flashing at women in the weeks before killing Ms Everard.
The former Met police officer was said to be on duty and working from home when he exposed himself to a female cyclist on a country lane in Kent in November 2020.
He then exposed himself to two female clerks at a drive-through fast food restaurant in Kent.
The latest incident occurred just days before he abducted 33-year-old Ms Everard on March 3, 2021 in South London.
The female cyclist told the court at the Old Bailey that her “freedom” to enjoy country walks and cycling had been taken away by his “selfish, aggressive act”.
She said, “I vividly remember worrying that someone who could expose himself to a stranger in such an intimidating way might commit much more serious acts. This is what happened.”