Police officers sacked over handling of sex offence claims

Two South Wales police officers have been sacked for gross misconduct. It comes after an investigation into how they handled allegations that a former colleague had sexually abused victims of domestic violence.

The Independent Police Complaints Commisssion said its investigation found a unit at Merthyr police station had a so-called "canteen culture", where inappropriate comments and behaviour were viewed as harmless banter.

South Wales Police has responded to the publication of the Independent Police Complaints Commission's report on the way officers dealt with allegations of sexual assault against a former colleague, offering "a sincere apology" to the women affected.

Detective Inspector Phillip Camm and Detective Sergeant Richard Jones have been sacked after being found guilty of gross misconduct.

Chief Constable Peter Vaughan said the force had been "deeply let down" by the officers' conduct.

He said they have now examined thousands of emails, and he is assured that their behaviour with lewd and offensive documents was not more common at the force.

A South Wales Police officer created a quiz, which referred to an allegation of indecent exposure made against a fellow officer, and poked fun at the woman who had made the allegation.

A report published today by the police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission reveals that Detective Sergeant Richard Jones created the quiz, which was used by colleagues on a trip outside of work.

It also contained sexually explicit remarks.

Det Sgt Jones and another officer have been sacked due to their handling of sexual offence allegations made against former family liaison officer Jeffrey Davies.

Mr Davies was jailed last August for two counts of sexual assault, although he was cleared of the further allegation of indecent exposure against this woman.

The woman made an allegation of indecent exposure against Jeffrey Davies in April 2011.

The IPCC found that Det Insp Camm failed to refer the woman's complaint to the Professional Standards Department, nor treat her as a victim of a sexual offence, and failed to carry out an effective investigation.

The IPCC's investigation also uncovered a series of inappropriate emails and documents from Detective Sergeant Richard Jones' computer, a number of which were sexual in nature.

One document, created the day after the woman had made the allegation against Mr Davies, contained lewd sexual and derogatory references to the woman.

Another document, written a few weeks after the woman's allegation, contained a list of questions about staff members, with multiple choice answers and a number of sexually explicit remarks.

One question referred to the woman's allegation specifically, describing it as 'scurrilous', and with derogatory references poking fun at her.

Det Sgt Jones told the IPCC that the quiz was used on a bus journey on a trip with colleagues outside of work hours.

IPCC Commissioner Jan Williams said: "I read with a sense of repulsion the sexual content of comments made by Detective Sergeant Jones, both in his emails and in the two documents found on his computer. They were littered with lewd language."

"One of the documents demonstrated a total lack of empathy and respect for a victim who had shown real courage to report an allegation of indecent exposure against a police officer. He treated her complaint as sport, to be used as part of a quiz with colleagues outside work."

"This was outrageous and demonstrates the contempt in which the woman and her allegation was held."

"It is only right that these officers have been dismissed. Their failure to challenge inappropriate behaviour strikes at the heart of confidence in policing and tarnishes the good work done by officers every day."

Two South Wales Police officers have been sacked after an investigation by the police watchdog into their handling of allegations of sexual offences against a former family liaison officer with the force.

Detective Inspector Phillip Camm, who was Jeffrey Davies' line manager, and Detective Sergeant Richard Jones, who was his supervisor, both had cases of gross misconduct proven following a five-day hearing.

Both officers were based at Merthyr Tydfil police station in the force’s Aberdare CID unit.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission says they were both dismissed on 28 February.

Its investigation found failures to carry out effective investigations into sexual offence allegations, and a series of inappropriate emails and documents containing sexual comments from Det Sgt Jones’ computer.

IPCC Commissioner Jan Williams said Det Sgt Jones "treated [a woman's] complaint as sport. This was outrageous."

"The investigation also revealed a CID unit pervaded with what could be described as a ‘canteen culture’ where inappropriate comments and behaviour were viewed as harmless banter."

"But the language demonstrated in emails and documents was, in fact, grossly unprofessional, offensive and demonstrated a lack of respect for the women complaining."