Former officer guilty of misconduct in a public office over sexual relationship with victim of crime

Detective Constable Wasim Bashir, aged 55, who was working as a detective constable in Bradford District at the point of his arrest, was found guilty on Friday (August 22) of one count of misconduct in a public office following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court. He has been remanded in custody to be sentenced on August 29.

Bashir retired from the force in June while under investigation but will still face misconduct proceedings, West Yorkshire Police said.

The conviction follows an investigation by West Yorkshire Police’s Counter Corruption Unit under the direction of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The charge related to an incident of abuse of position for a sexual purpose with former Det Con Bashir engaging in a sexual relationship with a woman who had reported serious sexual offences and domestic abuse. He was involved in investigating the crime she had reported.

The IOPC said Bashir had previous experience as a specialist investigator of rape and serious sexual offences, meaning he would have known that the survivors were likely to be vulnerable. He had also undertaken the required training around abuse of position for a sexual purpose, so would have been well aware his actions were unacceptable.

The investigation found evidence Bashir engaged in sexual activity, including intercourse, with one woman on three separate occasions while he was part of the team investigating a sexual offence which she had reported to the police.

Evidence was also found that Bashir had posted photographs of himself and the woman online, presenting them as a couple, without her consent.

On conclusion of the investigation, in October 2023, the case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charge.

The judge directed the jury during the trial to find Bashir not guilty of a second count of misconduct in a public office.

IOPC Director Emily Barry said: “As a police officer, Det Con Bashir held significant power so to abuse his position for a sexual purpose was an invidious and corrupt use of that power.

“Despite being an officer with 28 years’ service, Bashir blatantly disregarded the rules designed to protect the public and maintain confidence in the police.  His actions can only have undermined trust in policing.

“I would like to praise the courage of the woman who came forward to report Bashir’s behaviour which fell far short of the standards expected of a police officer.

“We would encourage any individual who believes they may have been a victim of this type of offending by a police officer to come forward and report it with the confidence it will be taken seriously.”

Detective Superintendent Natalie Dawson, deputy head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “For a police officer to pursue a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman who had come forward to report being victim of a sexual offence is nothing short of abhorrent.

“I want to reassure victims of crime and the wider public that this former officer is not representative of our organisation. One of the force’s key purposes is to protect vulnerable people, and our officers and staff work tirelessly to protect people from harm and to safeguard victims.

“We took swift action to suspend Bashir from duty after potential misconduct in a public office was reported. A comprehensive investigation was then carried out under the direction of the IOPC to understand other victims he had had contact with and the nature of this contact.

“Former DC Bashir has retired from the organisation, but we will still continue with misconduct proceedings with a view to him being banned from gaining any further employment in the policing profession.

“This case serves as a timely reminder to the public to report any concerns that they have about a police officer or staff member’s interaction with them or someone they know. Victims of abuse of position may not always see themselves as a victim and we need anyone with concerns to report it to us so that we can ensure it is investigated.

“It doesn’t matter whether someone has encountered the police as a victim, witness or suspect for an offence, they should expect any police officer or staff member that they come into contact with to act professionally and in line with the Code of Ethics.

“We know people may have concerns about contacting the police to make a report about the conduct of someone working in the police. I hope this prosecution demonstrates that we will act in such cases. Investigations of this nature are conducted by specialist officers in our Professional Standards Directorate and all reports will be dealt with sensitively.

“There are also options available to report incidents anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers.”