Complaints of sexual assault against police officers

Freedom of information request reference no: 235/25

REQUEST

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, can you please for each calendar year 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, how many complaints of sexual assault were made against serving police officers at the force (complaints against police officers serving the force at the time of complaint)? 

For each complaint, please provide the rank of police officer facing complaint, the police officer's sex, if the complainant was a member of the public or a colleague, and the outcome (ie No further action, management action, charged, under investigation etc).

eg

2023

1 - sgt - male - member of public - no further action

2 - PC - male -  member of public - management action

3 - PC - female - colleague - no further action

2024

1 - sgt - male -member of public - no further action

2 - insp - female - member of public - charged with sexual assault

RESPONSE

We consulted with our Professional Standards department (PSD) who have provided the following information regarding your request.

Below shows the outcome of each complaint over the requested time frame:

Below shows complaints made by members of the public or SWP colleagues across the requested time frame:

Regarding officer ranks and gender, your request has now been considered and I am not obliged to supply the information you have requested.       

In relation to your request, the following exemption applies:

Section 40(2) - Personal Information

Section 40(2) is an absolute class based exemption and therefore the authority is not required to consider the public interest in disclosure.

The Data Protection Act covers processing of personal data about a living individual.  Personal data means data which relate to a living individual who can be identified-

1. from those data, or
2. from those data and other information which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller or any other person in respect of the individual.

Information will “relate to” a person if it is about them, linked to them, has some biographical significance for them, is used to inform decisions affecting them, has them as its main focus or impacts on them in any way.

If we disclosed these details, this would provide significant detail which could identify an individual and would breach the first principle of the Data Protection Act 2018.

In accordance with the Act, this letter represents a refusal notice for this part of your request.