He edited my worst moments into a montage. How the British police still ignore domestic abusers within their ranks | Violence against women and girls

Paula was married to a London police officer for more than a decade, during which time he attacked her with a knife, exhibited coercive and controlling behaviour and secretly filmed her 24 hours a day in her home for years, she claims.

He provoked me and I would scream while he was sitting there calmly because he knew the camera was on. He wouldn’t let me sleep at night so sometimes I would get upset with my child. He edited my worst moments into a montage on film and had me arrested for child abuse. Paula says.

Shortly after, I reported him for domestic violence. While I was spending the night at the police station, he was able to continue his surveillance work. When I told my desk supervisor about the coercive behavior, voyeurism, and assault, he said he would call my then-husband to talk to him. My abuser was never arrested, and the video of him assaulting me was never seized. The way the police investigated me and the way they investigated him were like night and day.

My abuser was never arrested. The way the police investigated me and the way they investigated him are like night and day. Paula

For months, Paula was only allowed supervised child visits twice a week until the charges were dropped. Police investigating the child abuse case against her made statements to the judge in the criminal and custody cases about the seriousness of the footage. She later admitted that she had not seen the footage.

Three years later, Paula is still embroiled in a custody battle. Her ex-husband and more than 20 of his police colleagues are being investigated to determine whether to proceed with a lawsuit over alleged dishonorable conduct. Paula says the process is long and tedious, and she has received little information about it and is uncertain.

On Wednesday, the Center for Women’s Justice (CWJ) will release a damning report titled Police Domestic Violence: Has anything really changed since the 2020 supercomplaint?

Super complaints are a mechanism to identify and address systemic problems in policing. The Super Complaint, which remains largely intact in 2020, is based on the experiences of 19 women working in 15 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales, which currently employ around 150,000 officers.

Common themes include failure to investigate complaints, workplace abuse of women police officers and arresting victims when their abusers make counter-claims. The 2022 Apolice review found that only 40% of reports of police committing domestic violence (PPDA) resulted in a misconduct investigation, with only eight of 122 cases being referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Criminal charges were laid in only 9% of cases.

Reforms were promised following the super complaint. So now, almost five years later, is the PPDA being properly recorded, investigated, processed and monitored to ensure justice for victim survivors and restore trust in the police?

Harriet Wistrich, founder and director of CWJ, says change is slow, and it takes a huge corporation to make it happen. Each faction is led by a police chief with their own priorities. Some factions are really trying, while others are doing nothing at all. Many women caught in this horrible web are experiencing the same problems they first encountered in 2020.

Placards of female victims are seen displayed outside New Scotland Yard during a protest against police brutality against women. Photograph: Hesther Ng/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock

Since then, more than 200 women married to police officers who are under the PPDA (45% of whom are serving police officers) have contacted CWJ. Their stories are shocking.

Rose, a police officer, tried to report her ex-husband, a fellow officer, for controlling and coercive behavior, excessive drinking, and emotional abuse of her children. Her lieutenant said there would be no record because the police were not seen as taking sides.

Lorraine said her abuser was accused of two separate rapes by two women who had no prior knowledge of each other. He was promoted to chief supervisor.

Another police officer said she had made a complaint about rape and controlling and coercive behavior against her police partner. She learned that his former partner had also made a complaint about rape. The man had retired, but surprisingly, was rehired as a private investigator by the police’s Professional Standards Department.

Wistrich says that, as in 2020, there is still a lack of accurate data on PPDA in 2024, so the scale of the problem is still unknown. Safeguards have been introduced to ensure that police investigating PPDA complaints are not involved with the accused, but are they effective? In one case, the investigator was also the accused’s mentor.

CWJ wants a bespoke reporting channel for women to make complaints directly to the IOPC. Legislative reform is needed to ensure that PPDA investigations are handled by an external body and that all PPDA claims are recorded, investigated and reported to the IOPC.

Wistrich said she was also concerned that the voices of women affected by the PPDA were not being heard, leaving it unclear what changes were needed, what reforms were effective and where problems remained.

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David Carrick is sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in London on February 7, 2023. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

Another major concern is the flawed vetting system that allowed convicted Met Police officers Wayne Couzens and David Carrick to remain in the job despite multiple, horrific complaints. During one period the Met investigated, 500 officers were investigated three to five times for misconduct, including sexual and domestic violence. Only 13 were dismissed for two or more misconduct incidents.

Operation Onyx is currently reviewing and concluding 1,636 sexual and domestic violence incidents over the past 10 years and implementing a new police screening policy.

Although screening has improved nationwide, instances of misogyny, domestic violence, and coercive and controlling behavior often do not trigger screening reviews. When police officers commit VAWG acts (violence against women and girls)That information will automatically lead to a review, Wistrich says.

She also says coercive and controlling behavior is not well understood by investigators. It is often seen as offensive behavior and part of the police’s personal life, so it is not a criminal matter. Some women told CWJ that their former partners were promoted to senior positions working directly with domestic violence victims and survivors, despite their own allegations.

Wistrich says that abuse of power and exploitation of vulnerability at home must also be recognized as serious risks in police activities outside the home.

What has clearly changed since 2020 is that tackling VAWG is now a priority for police. A wave of frameworks, guidance, training and reviews from the IOPC, National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing recognise that VAWG is a national emergency for police. The Labour government has pledged to halve VAWG rates within 10 years.

Maggie Blythe, the NPCC’s first VAWG lead and deputy chief executive of the College of Policing, told the Observer: “The way police handle officers who are accused of VAWG is under scrutiny and rightly so. We know that change is not happening fast enough and much more is needed.

We must end criminal behavior and misconduct and foster a police culture that calls out systemic misogyny and sexism in the police. This undermines our high standards. We want police to be advocates, not bystanders, and call out bad behavior. Victims must be at the heart of every investigation. It is important that we change the way we respond. We are committed to honoring the findings of CWJ’s top complaints.

Wistrich says: There is still a significant gap between police commitment and actual change. Something more radical may be needed. One key issue is that although there are various oversight mechanisms, such as the NPCC, they can only make recommendations and not enforce them. Is it time to call for a stronger system across the country to hold police accountable?

According to the police, one in 20 people are VAWG perpetrators. If one in 20 is a serving police officer, there is little reason to fear the law at present.

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