Police sexual misconduct claims double in five years

Sexual misconduct and discrimination complaints against police officers have doubled in five years - but more than half of claims have gone uninvestigated, The Independent can reveal.

- ALICJA HAGOPIAN DATA CORRESPONDENT

Analysis of figures from the police watchdog shows that forces received 404 complaints for sexual misconduct in 2024-25 - the highest number on record in a single year - and up from 199 in 2020-01.

Sex discrimination claims also saw a significant jump, with a record number of complaints - 645 - in 2023-24 alone.

Complaints, which include claims of sexual assault, harassment and abuse of position for sexual gain, have risen at twice the rate of all other allegations made against officers in the past five years, analysis by The Independent shows. Despite this, 51 per cent of claims went uninvestigated between 2020 and 2024.

The revelation comes after damning new footage from the BBC’s Panorama exposed a culture of misogyny in the Metropolitan Police, with officers uncovered making sexualised comments about women and dismissing allegations of rape.

Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised for the “reprehensible and completely unacceptable” behaviour of the officers filmed in the recordings at Charing Cross police station and said it was likely that all the accused serving officers would be sacked within weeks.