Five Metropolitan Police Detectives Arrested on Suspicion of Plotting to Cover Up Complaint of Sexual Assault

Strategic Insights -

Five senior Metropolitan Police detectives, including a detective inspector in the force's Directorate of Professional Standards, have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to cover up a complaint of sexual assault by a policewoman against a senior colleague. The allegations center around a CID party last Christmas, where the female officer claims to have been assaulted by a senior officer. The detectives, who were held on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office, and corrupt or improper exercise of police powers, had their phones and computers seized and were bailed pending further inquiries. The investigation is being supervised by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Key Takeaways:

  • Five Metropolitan Police detectives, including a detective inspector in the Directorate of Professional Standards, have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to cover up a complaint of sexual assault by a policewoman against a senior colleague.
  • The allegations center around a CID party last Christmas, where the female officer claims to have been assaulted by a senior officer.
  • The detectives were held on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office, and corrupt or improper exercise of police powers.
  • The investigation is being supervised by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
  • The alleged cover-up is linked to a damning report on the Met's culture by Baroness Casey of Blackstock in 2023, which branded the force institutionally racist, homophobic, and misogynistic.
  • A detective inspector has been charged with perverting the course of justice in a linked case, accused of wiping his phone remotely.
  • The Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has announced a plan to root out "bad apples" in the force following the Casey report.

Statistics:

  • 5 Metropolitan Police detectives arrested on suspicion of plotting to cover up a complaint of sexual assault.
  • 4 detectives from the northwest borough command unit and 1 from the Directorate of Professional Standards involved in the investigation.
  • 1 detective inspector charged with perverting the course of justice in a linked case.
  • 11 addresses raided in the police operation, with phones and computers seized.
  • 5 detectives held on bail pending further inquiries.

Sources:

  • The Sun
  • Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)
  • Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
  • Baroness Casey of Blackstock's report on the Met's culture (2023)