Police sexual misconduct complaints skyrocket – but half of claims go uninvestigated
Sexual misconduct and discrimination complaints against police officers surge
- Sexual misconduct and discrimination complaints against police officers have doubled in five years, reaching record highs.
- Police forces received 404 sexual misconduct complaints in 2024-25, the highest on record, yet over half of all claims between 2020 and 2024 went uninvestigated.
- Allegations of sexual conduct increased by 103 per cent since 2020, twice the rate of other police complaints, with 70 per cent of recent claims being for sexual assault.
- The rise follows damning revelations of misogyny within the Metropolitan Police and high-profile cases such as the murders by Wayne Couzens and the serial rapes by David Carrick.
- Police chiefs acknowledge the issue, with Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologising, and campaigners urging forces to take all complaints seriously and address police-perpetrated sexual violence.