Police officer denies daughter's abuse accusations

The officer continues to work for West Yorkshire Police

A police officer "frequently" told his 13-year-old autistic daughter he would kill her in her sleep, it has been alleged.

The officer, who works for West Yorkshire Police, faces gross misconduct proceedings over allegations he was abusive and violent towards the teenager between March and August 2020.

His name has not been revealed by the force to protect the identity of the child. He continues to serve as a police officer on restricted duties.

Officer A denied being violent towards his daughter and said her accusations were an "exaggeration, manipulation of events or entirely fabricated".

He could be sacked if a misconduct panel finds the allegations against him proven on the balance of probabilities.

A five-day hearing to determine his fate began at West Yorkshire Police's headquarters in Wakefield earlier.

The hearing was told the girl had been living with her father when the alleged abuse took place.

She has not seen him since then and is due to give her evidence in private.

Her allegations also include a claim that Officer A threatened to flush her head down the toilet and on one occasion used a washing line to tie her up in his back garden.

The officer allegedly wrapped the line around her arms, body and neck and tightened it before leaving the girl to release herself.

'I'm scared'

Simon Mallett, a barrister representing West Yorkshire Police during the proceedings, said Officer A was also accused of entering the bathroom while his daughter was in the shower, despite her objections.

Once inside he "picked up her T-shirt and repeatedly whipped her".

Mr Mallett said Officer A committed other acts of physical violence and threats against the girl.

Monday's hearing was told the girl's allegations were supported by photos of her injuries, voice recordings and messages she had sent to her mother.

In one recording, the officer was heard telling his daughter: "Shut your little, stupid, gobby mouth before you get brained, because that's all you understand."

In a text message to her mother, the girl said: "I miss you mummy and I'm scared."

The girl's mother admitted her former partner, would get "quite angry when he's stressed".

She is also due to give evidence at the hearing, which is expected to conclude on Friday.

A force spokesperson said the Crown Prosecution Service advised no further action against Officer A following a criminal investigation.

The hearing heard the girl's mother had initially not supported her allegations, but the case was progressed two years later when the teenager produced the recordings from an old phone.

'Challenging child'

In response, Officer A said the voice recordings were out of context and photos of the girls injuries were not taken around the time they were alleged to have been inflicted.

In a prepared statement, he described her as a "very difficult girl who had been verbally and physically abusive".

She was "very single-minded and expects to get exactly what she wants all the time" and had "developed a hatred" for him, he added.

Mr Mallett described the girl as a "challenging child".

She had recently been diagnosed with autism, he added, having previously shown traits of the condition during her adolescence.

Despite this, Mr Mallett said her behaviour "doesn't justify, in any way, the officer's conduct towards her".

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.