Former Police Scotland chief constable is cleared

A former senior police officer accused of describing rape allegations as “regretful sex” will not face disciplinary proceedings, a watchdog has ruled.

Ex-metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Sir Stephen house was accused of making the comment by a Home Office adviser, but strongly denied the claim and said he must have been misheard.

Professor Betsy Stanko alleged he had described the bulk of rape allegations as regretful sex during a meeting in January 2022.

Ms Stanko and another academic were presenting research findings to four senior Met officers and a force employee as part of Operation so teri a, a government project to improve the police response to rape and other sexual offences. No written minutes were made of the meeting and the academic only made the claims more than a year later during a television interview.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog said one of the seven people at the meeting had taken notes and no reference was made to any of the comments claimed to have been made. Sir Stephen, who served as Police Scotland chief constable from October 2012 to November 2015, said: “I am pleased that the IOPC recognised that I have demonstrated a clear record throughout my career of prioritising the policing of rape and serious sexual offences and domestic abuse.

“The IOPC have found that I have no case to answer on all of the allegations. Their findings underline my long-standing commitment to combating violence against women and domestic abuse.

“I bitterly regret that these allegations have helped to undermine public the commitment of the Metropolitan Police to support the victims of rape and I hope that the findings may help to reassure the public.”