Devon and Cornwall Police Pay Nine Women Over Abusive Officers
Devon and Cornwall police has formally apologised and paid compensation to nine women who allege the force promoted and protected male officers despite knowing they were accused of domestic abuse. The chief constable, James Vaughan, apologised personally; the settlement, after a two-year legal battle, admits no liability. The women say at least four of the officers are still serving; the force denies a cover-up.
Some of the accused officers served in roles protecting women from male violence; one was allegedly promoted twice after allegations and given a leadership post in the force’s work on violence against women and girls. Three of the women were arrested after counter-accusations by their alleged abusers. “At best it was bad investigations, at worst it was collusion with the attackers,” a former senior figure in the force told the Guardian. The force refused to say whether the officers remain in service, but says none is now in a post related to protecting women, and has promised to improve its handling of police-perpetrated abuse.