More Than 1,100 Police Officers Under Investigation for Sexual or Domestic Abuse

Birmingham: More than 1,100 police officers across England and Wales are under investigation for sexual or domestic abuse, prompting fresh calls for vetting and misconduct procedures to be radically overhauled.

Of these, 180 – almost one in seven – have been allowed to carry on working as normal despite the severity of the offences. Of the 1,151 officers under investigation, 428 have been placed on restricted duties, with another 378 suspended.

The highest number of officers under investigation is from the largest force, the Metropolitan police, with 657 individuals accused of sexual or domestic abuse, or both.

At the start of the year, amid outrage after Met PC David Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 offences including dozens of rapes and sexual offences, the force said it was investigating 1,000 sexual and domestic abuse claims involving about 800 officers.

The new figures come nine months after the publication of the Casey report, which strongly criticised the internal culture and standards of behaviour within the Met.