Avon and Somerset Police: Sexual abuse charity calls for better training

A rape and sexual abuse charity has called for specialist training for police following an exposé documentary.

The Channel 4 series, To Catch A Copper, went behind-the-scenes at Avon and Somerset Police as it investigated allegations against its own officers.

CEO of Sarsas, Claire Bloor, said she was "shocked but not surprised" by what she saw during the final episode that focused on sexual allegations.

The force chief constable said they are "determined" to deal with misconduct.

The documentary followed Avon and Somerset's professional standards department for four years, with the first two episodes looking at mental health and race.

The series has sparked debate about police conduct and accountability, with Sarsas (Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support) adding that it highlights why victims and survivors of sexual violence may feel a distrust towards those who should protect them.

In the final episode on Monday, viewers saw the team investigating PC Dave Lovell, who posted intimate images of three women online without their consent and has since been sacked for gross misconduct.

It also followed an accusation of sexual assault on a new police recruit.

"While we are deeply shocked by some of the footage included in the final episode, we are not surprised," said Ms Boor.

"As high-profile cases involving police officers, like those of Wayne Cousins and David Carrick, and subsequent reports such as the Baroness Casey review have shown, vetting processes and misconduct procedures within the police nationally are woefully inadequate.

"Many of the people we support speak to us of negative experiences with the police or, on the most part, they tell us of the many reasons why they do not feel they can come forward to report crimes of sexual violence for fear of not being believed or taken seriously."

Sarsas said it is calling for more specialist training to be delivered by sexual violence services to all front-line staff within the police.

It said it also wants to see a strengthening of vetting procedures when hiring staff.

The charity added it recognises that the documentary was filmed before the introduction of Operation Bluestone - a specialist approach to rape and sexual offence investigations in Avon and Somerset - but that the stories shown in the documentary are a "stark reminder" of how much more needs to be done.

Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, Sarah Crew, said that despite receiving mixed responses to the controversial series, exposing the sexual misconduct was necessary to establishing public trust within the police force again.

"We have to show everything, but we also have to show that we're really determined to deal with it because we need public confidence," she said.

"It has obviously prompted some very uncomfortable reflections for us individually within Avon and Somerset Police, but I don't think we're unique.

"I think we're representative of reflections that will be going on up and down the country in different police forces."

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