‘Boys’ Club’ cabal of cops probed on sexist bullying
A GROUP of male police officers nicknamed ‘the boys’ club’ are being investigated over allegations of sexist bullying.
The men are alleged to have driven one female police officer to a forest late at night before abandoning her, and it has been claimed they locked another woman in a room while she was heavily pregnant.
The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) yesterday confirmed that a tenmonth probe has been carried out into the allegations.
The investigation centres around Forres, Moray, where the officers are alleged to have bullied female colleagues. According to whistleblowers, one female officer claims she was driven to a forest late at night and abandoned.
This was allegedly an act of retaliation after she reported a former partner, also in the police force, over domestic violence and sexual assault allegations.
Another female civilian officer alleges that she was deliberately locked in a room in Forres Police Station while she was heavily pregnant. She is said to have escaped from the room by climbing out of a window.
According to sources close to the investigation, male colleagues have also reported allegations of homophobia and bullying.
It is understood that one of the female police officers raised her complaint with PIRC after feeling that it had not been taken seriously enough by an internal investigation.
When PIRC became involved, it is understood that several other officers then came forward with allegations against the men.
Details of these claims were revealed by broadcaster STV yesterday.
One source close to the women described the accused group of officers as being considered ‘untouchable’ by top brass.
A spokesman for the PIRC investigation team said: ‘We are investigating allegations of potential criminality against officers of Police Scotland and it would be inappropriate to comment further on a live inquiry.
‘The matter was referred to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), and a report on the Commissioner’s findings will be submitted to the COPFS in due course.’
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘As the matter is being investigated by PIRC we are unable to comment.’
Former assistant chief constable Angela Wilson, who campaigned for sexual equality during her tenure with Tayside Police, said: ‘If these allegations are proven to be correct – and I really do hope that there is a thorough investigation of this – then it’s absolutely disgusting and totally and completely unacceptable, especially in this day and age.’
Miss Wilson added: ‘They (the claims) were very serious – and in this day and age I am really very shocked that this behaviour is actually still going on.
‘My view is that internal complaints are not always effective.
‘Clearly in this case they haven’t followed procedures if the allegations are indeed correct.
‘This is not an isolated case. This is not a one-off mistake. This is repeated behaviour over several years.
‘There needs to be a look at the culture and how cultural change can be affected.’
‘I am really very shocked’