Six police constables have faced a gross misconduct hearing after
failing to adequately record or investigate an allegation of rape.
PC Daniel Mitchell and PC Jake Self attended a four-day gross
misconduct hearing at Force HQ at Sherwood Lodge from Monday 23 March to
Thursday 26 March.
Former PC George Ginger, former PC Lucie Willett and two former
police constables – who have both resigned and have been granted
anonymity – also faced charges of gross misconduct but did not attend
the hearing.
The hearing heard that the six officers attended a Nottingham flat at
1.45am on 1 January 2025, following reports a woman would not leave the
address and had assaulted someone inside the property.
When police arrived at the scene, they found a woman in bed with a
man, with two other men situated in the flat, all of whom were
intoxicated.
The woman was then arrested for breaching the peace when she failed to comply with their instructions.
She informed the officers on multiple occasions while this happened that she had been raped.
No allegations were crimed or investigated, and no steps were taken to safeguard the woman who then left the scene.
When she was contacted on 6 January by an officer who was not part of
the misconduct proceedings, she once again stated that she was a victim
of rape.
She was then offered all the necessary support, and an investigation was opened into the incident.
Having reviewed body-worn footage of the police response on 1
January, officers referred the incident to Nottinghamshire Police’s
Professional Standards Directorate (PSD).
A thorough investigation was duly carried out by PSD that resulted in this week’s gross misconduct hearing.
The hearing panel found all six officers who attended the incident
had breached standards of professional behaviour, including honesty and
integrity, duties and responsibilities, and discreditable conduct.
The misconduct hearing heard how the officers felt remorseful for the way they handled the incident.
PC Mitchell, along with PC Ginger and one of the unnamed PCs, had
claimed not to have heard the woman’s claims, but the panel found this
was not credible.
PC Self, the only officer to give evidence to the panel, apologised
for his actions but also insisted he had not heard the woman allege she
had been raped on the night.
The panel, however, found that it was more likely than not that he had heard what she’d said.
They also ruled it was not credible that he hadn’t heard the
allegations when reviewing body-worn footage of the incident the
following day.
PC Willett admitted to all but one allegation – not treating the
woman with dignity and respect – but the panel found this allegation had
been proven.
Having highlighted that the actions of the six officers “eroded
public confidence in the police”, the panel ruled that both PC Mitchell
and PC Self be dismissed without notice.
They also found that former PC George Ginger, former PC Lucie
Willett and the two former police constables granted anonymity would’ve
each been dismissed if they were still serving.
Assistant Chief Constable Gary Hooks, who chaired the hearing, said:
“The six officers in this case should
have shown the victim dignity, compassion and respect. They all failed
in their duties that night.
“There is absolutely no excuse for why these officers acted the way they did, and they have now all been dealt with accordingly.
“Their actions have the potential to
undermine the public’s trust in us when reporting serious crimes such as
rape and have far-reaching consequences. This cannot be allowed to
happen.
“I want to be absolutely clear with the
public that we have excellent officers across our organisation who work
with victims of rape and serious sexual assaults every day to ensure
they are given the support they need and that perpetrators are held to
account.
"All of that great work was undermined by the disgraceful conduct of these officers that night.
“These types of offences are some of
the most sensitive and complex cases we investigate, while we know the
devastating impact these crimes can have on people’s lives.
“Ensuring the voices of survivors are
heard and that they feel able to come forward are both vital aspects of
how we investigate these harrowing incidents.
"Keeping vulnerable members of our
communities safe is – and always will be – the main priority for
Nottinghamshire Police. As such, the actions of these officers do not
represent the values of this police force.
"If you are a victim of rape or sexual
assault, we want you to know that we will listen and we will take
action, so please continue to report what happened to you to us."
More -
https://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/news/nottinghamshire/news/news/2026/march/six-officers-committed-gross-misconduct-after-rape-allegation/