Hundreds of sexual harassment complaints made against policemen in UK, report claims

Hundreds of people have reportedly claimed they were sexually harassed by male police officers in the UK in the past six years.

More than half of British police forces received almost 450 complaints from staff and members of the public about sexual harassment, including accusations against senior detectives and inspectors, according to an investigation by The Guardian.

The newspaper said a fraction of the cases led to dismissal, with a number of cases resulting in an officer resigning or retiring.

This behaviour falls short of the high standards set in the code of ethics

Twenty-eight out of 43 police forces provided data in response to the freedom of information request. Some – including the Metropolitan Police – said they were unable to supply information ,or did not respond within the time limit, the Guardian said.

Julian Williams, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for professional ethics, told the newspaper: “This behaviour falls short of the high standards set in the code of ethics, which each member of the policing profession is expected to uphold.

“Where predatory behaviour exists, it requires the strongest response from policing, including the removal of individuals from the service.”