BBC News has discovered that three Thames Valley Police officers made inappropriate comments about a female assault victim while watching body-worn video footage that exposed her groin. The woman was filmed during a seizure, and the officers watched the footage without justification. The student officer who reported the incident was later dismissed, but no misconduct hearing was held for the officers involved. The police force has admitted that the comments were “unacceptable” and that the officers were disciplined.
The incident came to light due to the actions of a student officer, who reported that his colleagues insulted the woman’s appearance and used derogatory language about her genitals while watching the footage. The woman, who was unaware of the incident until contacted by the BBC, expressed feelings of betrayal and called for the officers to be arrested.
The student officer who reported the incident claims he was ostracized by his colleagues and eventually dismissed from his position. Despite this, none of the officers involved faced public misconduct hearings. The force insists that the dismissal of the student officer was unrelated to his report.
The case has raised concerns about the misuse of body-worn video footage by police officers, with previous BBC investigations revealing instances of officers turning off cameras, deleting footage, and sharing videos on WhatsApp. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners is now calling for mandatory rules for camera use.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has stated that the officers’ behavior will likely damage public confidence and that the force should have referred the conduct for independent investigation immediately.
