Rape charity ‘appalled’ after police officer sacked for abusing women allowed to hide identity
A rape charity has called for more transparency over the handling of rogue police officers after a PC sacked for abusing multiple women was allowed to keep his identity hidden.
Constable Z was found guilty of gross misconduct following a disciplinary hearing carried out by North Yorkshire Police last month.
Legally qualified chair of the panel, solicitor Gerald Sydenham, chose to exclude all members of the public and the media from the hearing, telling the Yorkshire Post it was necessary because a number of people involved in the proceedings were “vulnerable”.
Constable Z suffers from a “mixed depressive and anxiety disorder” and “reasonable adjustments” were needed to allow him to participate, Mr Sydenham said.
The officer chose to resign from North Yorkshire Police three weeks before the hearing went ahead and did not attend the hearing at the force headquarters in Northallerton.
But Mr Sydenham decided the anonymity order should stay in place even after a raft of allegations of abuse and misogynistic behaviour were found to be proven.
Constable Z was dismissed without notice and will be placed on the “barred” list of individuals who can never serve in a law enforcement agency again.
However, it remains unclear whether he will be identified on the version of the barred list which is available for members of the public to search online via the College of Policing website for the next five years.
A spokesperson told i a force can ask for an exemption order if the case meets certain criteria.
This would mean any potential victims are not able to look up the details of Constable Z’s misconduct in future.
The hearing heard that the officer’s first victim, who was in a relationship with him between 1998 and 2001, said he verbally abused her, controlled how she spent her time, threatened to put her eight-year-old son in a “body bag” and carried out physical attacks including holding a knife to her throat and strangling her.
The second victim, who was with Constable Z between 2005 and 2016, said he subjected her to coercive control, calling her fat, lazy and ugly and telling her what to wear.
A third victim who was with Constable Z between 2016 and 2017 described being controlled and insulted, including that she was unable to “keep her legs shut”.
She also suffered physical abuse such as nipping, biting and being shoved.
North Yorkshire Police confirmed Constable Z had been the subject of a criminal investigation by another force, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ultimately declined to bring any charges.
Refuge, the charity which supports women suffering domestic violence, said the case raised multiple concerns.
Ellie Butt, head of policy, public affairs and research told i: “Refuge is deeply concerned and appalled by the case of Police Officer Z, formerly of North Yorkshire Police, who has been found guilty of gross misconduct for his abhorrent abuse towards three women over several decades. We understand the public’s need for answers and share their concerns.
“Questions should be raised around how police officers are able to maintain their positions in the force while committing these crimes. It reflects significant failures within the policing system.”
Ms Butt added that research by the charity had found that around three quarters of police officers and staff accused of domestic abuse between May 2022 and May 2023 were not suspended from duty pending investigation.
She added: “This is why Refuge is calling for the Home Secretary to enforce mandatory suspension for all officers accused of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) crimes, pending the outcome of an investigation.
“Transparency is crucial for rebuilding trust in law enforcement agencies. It is essential for law enforcement agencies to clarify whether the officer in question was suspended during the investigations and why he is currently not being identified.
“We believe that every survivor deserves justice, safety, and support. We urge authorities to take these questions seriously, conduct a thorough review of this case, and work to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.”
The case comes amid renewed scrutiny over how police forces handle rogue officers.
The Home Office announced last month that legally qualified chairs will no longer have control of misconduct proceedings and more power will be given to chief constables.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was among a number of chiefs to complain that they were being held back from rooting out bad apples under current procedures.
The Home Office promised changes after public trust in the police was badly damaged by a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens and the unmasking of former police constable David Carrick as a serial abuser and rapist.
It is understood that the Government wants to bring in disciplinary reform as soon as possible, with hopes that it will be in place by next spring.
Gross misconduct hearings have been held in public since 2015 and Home Office guidance says it is important they are as “open, transparent and fair as possible” and that any restrictions should be “the exception”.
It is understood Constable Z was suspended from duty pending his misconduct hearing.
Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police, Mabs Hussain, said: “There is absolutely no place for this behaviour in the police service.
“We demand the highest level of integrity from our officers and staff to ensure that the people we serve can have complete trust in us.
“The misconduct outcome sends a clear message and reassurance to the public that we will not tolerate such appalling behaviour from anyone within our ranks and will ensure action is taken.”
Addressing the lack of a criminal prosecution, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police added: “A police investigation has been carried out in another force area.
“We understand that a file was submitted to the CPS for a charging decision and the decision was that no further action would be taken.
“As this was not in the North Yorkshire Police area or a North Yorkshire Police investigation, we are unable to make any further comment regarding the outcome.”
