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Police officers investigated over cadet abuse claims
Nationwide scheme for youngsters aged 13 to 18 under ‘urgent’ review
Chief constables across England and Wales have been told to urgently review their volunteer police cadet programmes amid claims that some officers are abusing their position of power “for sexual gain”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is calling for safeguarding checks across England and Wales, and has launched investigations into several officers who worked with cadet groups in the nationwide scheme, for youngsters aged between 13 and 18.
Two officers, from Greater Manchester Police and the Metropolitan Police Service, are subject to separate criminal investigations, the BBC reports.
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A further four officers across the two forces are being investigated over how they dealt with the reports of abuse, The Independent says.
The Met confirmed that one of its constables has been suspended in the wake of what it calls “serious and sensitive allegations”.
IOPC deputy director-general Ian Todd has written a public letter to the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), the UK’s law enforcement coordination body, saying he is “extremely concerned” that the cases, which were referred in the same week, “may suggest a risk profile in this area”.
“I would ask that you urgently pass this information on to your Chief Constable colleagues to ensure, as a matter of priority, that they are satisfied that their own Volunteer Police Cadet programmes have robust safeguarding procedures in place,” he writes.
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Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer, NPCC lead for police cadets, has since said that he has asked all chiefs in England and Wales to find out if any similar cases are being dealt with in their forces, and to “personally ensure their local safeguarding arrangements are fully effective”.
In a statement, Todd added that it was not his intention to alarm young cadets, or their families, and noted that the programmes had benefited thousands of young people.
“I must stress that the two investigations are unconnected and we have no information to indicate this may be a wider problem. However, some of the evidence emerging from these investigations indicates that there may have been opportunities to act sooner on the allegations that we are now investigating,” he said.
The IOPC says anyone with concerns should contact them or their local police force.
