Alleged sexual relationship with victim of domestic abuse - Metropolitan Police, April 2019

A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer was alleged to have had a sexual relationship with a victim of domestic abuse with whom they had come into contact during their duties as a police constable.

Our investigation obtained evidence that suggested that the police officer formed a friendship with the victim before encountering them as a victim of domestic abuse. The officer took a statement, conducted an initial risk assessment, created a computer record for the suspect, created a report and filled out a domestic abuse form in relation to one incident, and took a statement in relation to another incident involving the same victim. This occurred during a period in which they had expressed interest in one another but had not yet gone on a date.

The evidence we obtained suggested that although the officer took initial actions and a statement on two different incident dates, the officer formed a relationship with the victim when they were no longer involved in the victim’s investigation.

During the investigation, we interviewed witnesses, invited the officer in for an interview but received a written response to the misconduct caution and reviewed force policies and legislation.

Following the investigation, our opinion was that the officer had a case to answer for misconduct but that it could be dealt with through management action.

The MPS agreed and arranged for the officer to receive management action in the form of reflective practice, to ensure the officer is aware of the policies and guidance in relation to relationships with people that they meet during their work.

We also identified organisational learning around the need for the MPS to have clear guidance on police officers taking reports or investigating crimes, which relate to family members or partners.