Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher acknowledges and very much welcomes the publication of the Police Ombudsman’s report examining allegations of abuse of position for sexual purposes.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “Any abuse of position for sexual purposes is wholly unacceptable. It represents a serious breach of trust and a violation of the standards rightly expected of police officers.

“The Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland in its March 2025 report found that the Police Ombudsman’s handling of abuse-of-position complaints needed to improve and, as this most recent report recognises, by focusing on this issue together we have seen the number of referrals and investigations increase. I welcomed that report and the clear need for both the PSNI and the Ombudsman to robustly deal with allegations of abuse of power.

“While the report identifies serious individual misconduct, it also recognises the significant work we have done to strengthen professional standards, enhance vetting and misconduct reporting processes and ensure learning from past failures.

“We are determined to shine a light on and better understand the true extent of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI to ensure our organisation is as effective as possible.  In the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard and the sexual offences committed by David Carrick and Wayne Couzens, both Metropolitan police officers, the PSNI undertook a review of historical investigations relating to 134 officers over a ten-year period regarding concerns about their conduct. This review made many recommendations and identified gaps in individual investigations and PSNI’s safeguarding response between 2012 and 2022. In addition, a number of thematic issues were identified which have been addressed to ensure organisational learning.

“As a further indication of our utter determination to improve our investigative response to ending Violence Against Women and Girls, tackling misogyny, and addressing unacceptable behaviour in the PSNI workforce, I commissioned an independent review of our performance and internal behaviour by Rachel Langdale KC.  The Langdale Review examined the PSNI’s operational response to Violence Against Women and Girls, it also included an internal examination of sexism and misogyny and the effectiveness of our professional standards processes in dealing with such issues. I will be making the results of that review available.

“Sexism, misogyny and wider unacceptable behaviours were also an area of focus in our recent Workforce Inclusion Survey conducted in the Autumn of 2025. This survey was designed to establish a baseline of inclusion across the organisation, with a core element relating to inappropriate behaviour and discrimination. The findings show that officers and staff understand what constitutes inappropriate conduct and know how to report it. The survey examined the effectiveness of our internal reporting mechanisms, showing that a significantly higher proportion of our workforce would report inappropriate behaviour compared with forces in England and Wales.

“We have reinforced our policy and guidance relating to abuse of position for sexual purposes and we are unequivocal that such behaviour is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. In August 2024, we issued a formal Statement of Action/Intent on Conduct and Standards in relation to Violence Against Women and Girls. Reaffirming our zero tolerance for sexual violence, abuse of position for sexual gain, harassment, domestic abuse, bullying or discriminatory behaviour of any kind, including conduct carried out via social media or messaging platforms. Each of our officers and staff have personally signalled their personal commitment to this issue.

“As part of our leadership commitment, we also developed a supervisor briefing note which has been issued across the organisation outlining the warning signs of abuse of position for sexual purposes and the circumstances in which it may arise. These briefings provide practical guidance on early identification and set out clear reporting routes.

“We will work ever harder with the Police Ombudsman and other key external stakeholders, including through the independent Langdale Review, to ensure robust prevention, early identification and decisive action against predatory behaviour. There is no place for those who display such behaviour in the PSNI.

“The vast majority of our officers and staff serve with integrity and dedication. Where standards fall short, we will act decisively. Our focus is on protecting the vulnerable, maintaining public confidence and ensuring transparency and accountability in all that we do.”