Over 50 police officers and staff from Hampshire Constabulary reported for domestic abuse but none was dismissed

But despite a total of 56 officers and employees of the force being reported for the incidents between January 2018 and September 2021 no-one was dismissed from their job.

That is despite two officers/staff being professionally disciplined before they were subsequently convicted. They did not get fired because they resigned, the force revealed.

The data shows that of those reported for domestic abuse, 87.5 per cent were still working for the constabulary - or 49 people.

Meanwhile, nationally about 82 per cent of officers who have been reported for domestic abuse continue to work - meaning more officers and staff in Hampshire continue to work after being reported for the abuse.

The figures come following an investigation by the The Bureau of Investigative Journalism which is shining a light on the topic across the UK.

Claire Lambon, chief executive officer of Havant-based Stop Domestic Abuse, said of the findings: ‘Victims of domestic abuse should be confident that the police are there to protect them and keep them safe.

‘There should be no risk to a victim that a police officer they trust has a different agenda and is actually a perpetrator of domestic abuse.

‘There should be no place in policing for perpetrators, those officers that use abusive behaviours must be held to account to ensure that public confidence in the police is not eroded.’

Hampshire police, responding to the research, said each allegation of domestic abuse is referred to its professional standards department.

The force also revealed that officers facing criminal proceedings will face an accelerated misconduct hearing and may be dismissed, given a final written warning or no further action depending on the outcome of the criminal investigation.

For serious offences, which includes many forms of domestic abuse, this must be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct which makes a decision on whether to independently investigate.

Where an officer faces an allegation of gross misconduct, the case is heard by an independent, legally qualified chair. If found guilty, the decision for an officer to stay or remain would be with the independent chair.

A spokeswoman for the force said: ‘Sadly domestic abuse happens in all walks of life and professions and although this is not unique to policing, what is unique is the power afforded to officers.

‘In Hampshire, we have an internal policy on dealing with domestic abuse perpetrated by officers or staff. Our policies on dealing with domestic abuse internally were completely rewritten in June 2021 to provide comprehensive guidance for managers to provide increased support for victims and a robust approach to identifying and tackling perpetrators

‘Whilst we have always understood the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest and maintaining confidentiality, this new policy tackles these issues even more overtly.

‘To ensure we are providing the best and impartial service, we have created a scrutiny panel to oversee every case to ensure the service we provide is of the highest quality and to support continuous improvement. We have four independent domestic abuse specialists who are core members of the panel providing objective oversight and advice, ensuring the victims perspective is represented throughout.’

She added: ‘We seek further independent support through an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate and have delivered a new training package to our staff.

‘We take any allegation of abuse against an officer very seriously. Calling out unethical behaviour is also a core part of ensuring that we are upholding the highest standards of behaviour in our own organisation. Our Confide in Us system allows officers and staff to report when they are concerned about the behaviour of colleagues, with anonymity and confidence.

‘There is no place in policing for those who breach those standards.’

Meanwhile, the Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ), recently posted on the subject: ‘Victims of domestic abuse are being failed by the very system meant to protect them.

‘When women are abused by men working within the police they struggle to be heard.’

At least 129 women have approached the CWJ since 2019 with claims of being raped, beaten and coerced by their police officer spouses and partners, according to Channel 4 News.

And police forces have received more than 800 allegations of domestic abuse against officers and staff over the last five years, BBC research revealed last June.

Just 43 cases - or about 5 per cent of the total - were prosecuted with victims saying they do not believe their complaints were properly investigated.

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The National Police Chiefs Council said there was ‘no place in policing for people who abuse others’.

Assistant commissioner Louisa Rolfe previously stated on the subject: ‘Domestic abuse is not just physical or sexual abuse, it can include verbal, psychological or financial abuse too.

‘It can be committed anywhere, including online, and can sadly involve and seriously affect children. It causes misery regardless of where it happens.’

Hampshire crime commissioner Donna Jones was approached for comment on the issue.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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