Hundreds of police accused of sexual exploitation

Hundreds of police officers across England and Wales are accused of sexually exploiting people in their charge, according to a report.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) claims 306 officers used their positions of authority for sexual gain, with forces receiving 436 allegations across the two years to March.

Vulnerable groups such as crime victims, sex workers and drug addicts are said to have been among those targeted. Of the cases where police used their position for sexual gain or to develop inappropriate relationships, 39 per cent involved victims of domestic abuse, added the report.

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HM Inspector of Constabulary Mike Cunningham said the true figures of those affected could be far higher and that forces needed to clamp down on the issue, the BBC reports.

"What can be worse than a guardian abusing the trust and confidence of an abused person? There can be no greater violation of public trust," he said.

As well as the police officers, the alleged abusers include 20 community support officers and eight staff, The Guardian says, but just 40 people were dismissed over the claims.

The National Police Chiefs' Council said the problem was a "disease" that needed to be rooted out.

The report, part of a review of police legitimacy ordered by Theresa May while she was home secretary, also found that broadly speaking, victims' satisfaction with police treatment was high.

Nevertheless, it said some forces were not classing the offence as a serious corruption issue – meaning that only 48 per cent of cases were automatically referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission for investigation.

Some officers have been imprisoned for sexual offences. In October, Steven Walters, a West Midlands constable, was jailed for four years for assaulting a woman in his patrol car and groping another in her home, while last year, PC Simon Salway was sentenced to three years after he had sex with five different crime victims and witnesses, even fathering a child with one woman.