Sexual assault allegations at a custody facility - Staffordshire Police, June 2016

On 23 June 2016, we received a referral regarding an allegation of sexual assault at a police custody suite. The allegation had been made by a detainee who alleged that they had been victim of a sexual assault within the custody facility. The allegation was against a Custody Detention Officer (CDO) employed by a company contracted to provide custody detention services to the force. This referral was assessed and returned to force for local investigation.

On 13 July 2016, a second referral was sent to us with an alleged sexual allegation by a different detainee against the same CDO.

We investigated both matters. During the investigation, a further two allegations of a sexual nature were made against the same CDO, one by a colleague and another by a detainee.

The evidence obtained by our investigation indicated that a former CDO may have, whilst on duty, sexually assaulted all of the victims.

During the investigation, the CDO subject of the allegations was interviewed, their mobile phones were examined, custody documentation and CCTV was reviewed. Furthermore, accounts were obtained from several witnesses including the four people they were alleged to have assaulted.

The subject CDO was investigated for sexual assault(s) and Misconduct whilst in a Public Office. The evidence gathered was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service who decided that there was insufficient evidence to charge the CDO.

The CDO is no longer working at the Police Force concerned, which has subsequently brought all custody detention services inhouse, so a misconduct hearing could not be considered.