Officer Sexual Assaults (72A/23)
Request
- How many police officers and staff in your force have been reported for sexual assault from the dates of January 2018 to the end of December 2022?
- How many of these reports resulted in professional disciplinary action of an officer or staff member?
- How many of these reports resulted in a conviction of an officer or staff member?
- How many of these reported officers/staff were removed from their job?
- How many of these reported officers/staff members are still part of your force?
Response
We want our officers to uphold the highest of standards so the public has the utmost confidence in them.
Sexual abuse is simply unacceptable but when it is done by a police officer – who holds a position of power and someone the public should trust – it must be rooted out and eliminated.
We must do everything we can to maintain public confidence and trust in policing.
This will provide reassurance to the public that we mean it when we say we’ll do all we can to preserve and rebuild trust.
I can confirm that information is held in relation to your request for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 (please find attached 72A_23_attachment.pdf). However, with regard to 2021 and 2022, West Midlands Police will neither confirm nor deny that we hold any of the requested information by virtue of the following exemptions:
Section 30(3) – Investigations and proceedings conducted by the public authority
Section 31(3) – Law enforcement
Section 38(2) – Health and safety
These exemptions and explanatory notes are shown here.
In line with the above, I am required to complete a Prejudice Test/Public Interest Test (PIT) on disclosure. Please find this PIT attached (72A_23_PIT.pdf)
No inference can be taken from this refusal that the information you have requested does or does not exist.