Nine PSNI officers sacked over sexual or domestic abuse
- Published
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said it sacked nine officers last year for misconduct related to sexual or domestic abuse.
It has also told BBC News NI there are currently 74 ongoing cases, with 32 officers suspended on suspicion of sexual misconduct.
The total includes some cases dating back years.
All UK police services have been reviewing vetting and standards following the murder of Sarah Everard.
The Home Office also asked forces in Britain to re-check staff after Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick admitted serious offences against 12 women over two decades.
A tougher approach to disciplinary matters was promised by the PSNI a number of months ago.
Last September, launching its first action plan aimed at tackling violence against women and girls, it said the "very highest professional standards" were required to build public trust and confidence in policing.
Supt Claire McGuigan, of the PSNI professional standards department, said: "The chief constable's message is clear.
"Just as we will pursue perpetrators of violence against women and girls in our communities, we are committed to rooting out those that may be in our own ranks."
'I'm alarmed'
Questioned on the BBC's Talkback programme, Ms McGuigan, revealed that concern over "access to public protection weapons" was a feature of some of the current misconduct investigations, but she said she could not discuss the detail of individual cases.
She accepted that policing "has taken a battering" since Sarah Everard's murder in London and more recently again this week with the conviction of David Carrick.
"In terms of these [PSNI] figures, I'm sure this is quite alarming for people. I'm alarmed by it, my colleagues are alarmed by it," Ms McGuigan said.
But she added that the PSNI had also seen "increased reporting" of misconduct claims since the PSNI appealed to victims to come forward so allegations could be investigated.
"I hope that demonstrates that people are confident, they've responded. We're investigating and we're being robust," she said.
"We're dealing with these people and we're dealing with them in the most robust way."
'How did this go on for so long?'
However, there is concern over the number of officers facing domestic and sexual abuse allegations and how the issue has been dealt with to date.
"I'm disappointed that they are talking about taking it seriously now. They should have always taken it seriously," Marie Brown, the director of Foyle's Women's Aid, said.
"We're in a time where they know enough about the damage that sexual abuse and sexual crime has on victims.
"I'm just wondering about the governance and how this was allowed to go on for so long."
Marie Brown from Women's Aid said it "beggars belief that there isn't continuous vetting" of serving PSNI officers
Ms Brown told BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme: "There does seem to be a culture of misogyny that needs to be addressed."
She called for a root and branch review of the PSNI's handling of domestic and sexual abuse allegations, right back to how it recruits new staff, and continuous vetting of officers throughout their career.
"I'm disappointed for all the good officers that I have worked with, who work really hard in this area, and I feel like they've been let down by the governance within their own organisation," she added.
The PSNI professional standards department confirmed that officers are currently vetted during the recruitment process and then again once every 10 years, following recommendations from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.
However, Ms McGuigan said she believed those recommendations could soon change to increase the frequency of vetting.
"I've no doubt that going forward, and bearing in mind what has been in the media over the past number of days, that that will probably be reviewed and of course we will look at whether we need to do it more regularly as well," she told Talkback.
The PSNI has been hit by a number of controversies in the past 12 months.
A civilian employee, Sinead McGrotty, said she was let down by the police after making allegations of sexual assault against a serving officer.
The police officer in Sinead McGrotty's case was fined £250 after accepting an allegation of inappropriate touching
The BBC NI's Spotlight programme then exposed a group of more than 20 officers who had exchanged scores of sexist and pornographic messages on WhatsApp.
'Missed opportunities'
The PSNI said in 2022 it held 10 misconduct hearings which had a sexual or domestic abuse dimension and as a result it dismissed nine officers.
There are currently five further hearings already scheduled to be heard in coming months.
The organisation has also been reviewing how it handled misconduct investigations over the past decade.
Supt McGuigan added: "The purpose is to identify any missed opportunities or areas for improvement.
"We have also published a statement of intent making it clear we will not tolerate violence, abuse, harassment or bullying of any kind.
"Where allegations are proven, dismissal will be robustly pursued."
Analysis: Signs of a tougher approach?
Last November, when the Policing Board looked at officer misconduct procedures, it asked for disciplinary processes to be carried out faster.
It also urged the PSNI to make better use of its powers to dismiss officers.
Recent figures have shown the number of officers dismissed from the PSNI each year - last year, there were 17 officers sacked from the PSNI in total.
That compares to seven sackings in 2021; four in 2020; and three in 2019.
The data shows a clear direction of travel.
The question is does this indicate a tougher approach or is it simply that the PSNI is speeding up its disciplinary process?
Because we know that some of these cases involve officers being suspended for a considerable period of time.
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