‘Abuse of position for sexual purposes unacceptable’, says Police Ombudsman chief executive
The chief executive of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has said any case where police officers abuse their position for sexual gain is “serious corruption and unacceptable”.
It comes after a former Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer, Christopher Little, was sentenced on Thursday (September 12) for misconduct in public office.
The former PSNI officer had pleaded guilty in April following initiation of contact with a 17-year-old girl while on duty.
The outcome follows the conviction and sentencing in May this year of another police officer, Timothy Hampton, after he cultivated an inappropriate sexual relationship with a member of the public. He was subsequently dismissed without notice for gross misconduct.
Both cases came to court following investigations by the Police Ombudsman’s office, which has more than 20 cases involving alleged abuse of position for sexual purposes where investigations are ongoing or, having been completed, are awaiting final outcomes.
Commenting on the rise in cases, Police Ombudsman chief executive Hugh Hume said: “Although these cases remain relatively rare, the impact on victims, their families and on the wider confidence in policing is considerable.
“We have had five convictions or dismissals in cases like this since 2020, with work ongoing on a significant number of others.
“Any instance where police officers abuse their position for sexual purposes is serious corruption and unacceptable, and we believe there may well be more cases that have not been reported to us for very valid reasons.
“People’s interaction with police can often happen when they are experiencing difficulties in their lives and are at their most vulnerable. If, in such circumstances, an officer acts in their own interest, to exploit rather than protect, that has no place in policing.
“We would emphasise to anyone who has experienced this type of behaviour from a police officer that we will listen, we will take allegations seriously and we will investigate”.
The Police Ombudsman’s Office has detailed some of the warning signs that characterise police officers’ behaviour in cases of sexual misconduct, including:
- Providing their personal contact details;
- Contact or visits;
- Off duty or continued contact after an incident is closed;
- Unexpected visits or welfare checks;
- Unnecessary communication through social media, email or text;
- Sexualised comments; and
- Physical contact or flirtatious behaviour.