Police ombudsman concerned by number of sexual abuse of position cases

The new Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has said she is "deeply concerned" by the number of investigations involving officers accused of abusing their position for sexual purposes.

Jacqui Durkin said these account for 36% of her office's most serious cases, and one of the investigations involves a former officer who was arrested last year on suspicion of rape and dozens of other alleged offences.

Durkin, who was appointed in June, told BBC News NI that the cases are among her top priorities.

Last year, a report by the ombudsman's office highlighted the issue of APSP, or abuse of position for sexual purposes.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has previously said any abuse of position for sexual purposes is wholly unacceptable and "represents a serious breach of trust and a violation of the high standards rightly expected of police officers".

"Thirty-six percent of our most serious investigations are those involving abuse of position for sexual purposes and that's deeply concerning," Durkin said.

"It's very difficult to comment on why it's increasing.

"The chief constable [Jon Boutcher] has said very publicly it is a serious form of corruption.

"I share those views."

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show, Durkin said people who report sexual misconduct by police officers should be believed when they first come forward to make a complaint.

She said she wants anyone who contacts her office to have confidence that their complaint will be taken seriously.

"Every person who makes an allegation of that nature, any victim who comes forward needs to be dealt with appropriately and needs to feel that they are believed," Durkin said.

"The role of the investigators here are to work with that victim and gather evidence. You don't assume that someone who comes forward with that sort of allegation, you don't automatically assume oh this is a fictitious complaint."

But Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Jon Burrows, a former senior police officer, called on Jacqui Durkin to clarify her comments.

He told the Nolan Show that "job of an investigator is to get to the truth".

"You've got to be empathetic, supportive of those who make complaints, particularly of a sexual nature against police officer," Burrows said.

"Tell them you are going to do everything you can to get the truth. You're going to give them every welfare support and trauma support that you can, but you remain open minded because unless you do you actually risk letting the victim down or someone who has a false allegation made against them down," he said.

Nuala Lappin, a retired specialist PSNI domestic abuse officer, told the Nolan Show that there is a "very distinct difference in believing someone and listening to someone".

"I think every victim should be heard, every victim is entitled to a voice, but I do think because an allegation is made it absolutely merits an investigation, usually," Lappin said.

"Sometimes there is no merit in an investigation, but I do think there is a distinct difference in believing somebody automatically and listening to someone. Listening to somebody empathetically, taking the details down," she said.

"Because in those situations, we're talking about abuse of position for sexual power, does it happen? Unfortunately it does."

In a statement, Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon has welcomed Durkin's commitment to look into police officers who abuse their position for sexual purposes.

"A report by the Police Ombudsman showed that police predatory behaviour accounts for 30% of the most serious cases it handles," the Mid Ulster MLA and Policing Board member said.

"That is damning and this type of behaviour must never be tolerated, but challenged and rooted out," she said.

"Police officers have a role to play in ending this culture and I am sure many of them will be keen to do so. All officers must be clear of the boundaries that cannot be crossed."

Elaine Crory, from the Women's Resource and Development Agency, stressed that "it is so important that we don't inflate the idea of false allegations to be something incredibly common as opposed to genuine allegations".

"I don't think there is any policy on earth that can force a person to believe something or not believe it," she told the Nolan Show.

Durkin has taken over from Marie Anderson, whose last two years in post were overshadowed by a police investigation into potential misconduct in office.

Anderson was not charged with any offence.

"The work of the office has gone on despite the challenges over the last couple of years," Durkin stated.

"But I am mindful that it is incumbent on me to build more public confidence and more police confidence in the office.

"That is what I am planning to do."

Her office has more than 100 staff and an annual budget of about £12m.

Durkin said she has made the Department of Justice (DoJ) aware of the "pressures" the office is under.

The police ombudsman added that Troubles legacy cases currently present "acute financial challenge".