Essex officer charged with assaulting 14-year-old child

An Essex Police officer is due to appear in court charged with assaulting a 14-year-old girl, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).    

PC Thomas White, 30, will appear at Ipswich Magistrates Court on 21 October 2024 charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), relating to the officer’s use of force on the child.   

It follows an investigation into an incident in Basildon on 27 March 2024 when a child was arrested by PC White. During the arrest it is alleged that the officer used PAVA spray on the child, and then later at hospital it is alleged that excessive force was used by the officer when he struck the child with his knee and put his hands around their throat.  

Our investigation began following a conduct referral from the force in April 2024. After concluding our investigation in August 2024, we sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, who authorised the charge of ABH.