It’s 2024, yet headlines about police officers accused of sexual assault still fill the news, highlighting a worrying and persistent problem. These stories not only remind us of individual failings but serve as grim evidence of a systemic issue in British policing—one that seems resistant to change, despite public outrage and reports exposing the toxic cultures within police forces.
PC Joe Lavender, a West Yorkshire Police officer, is currently charged with raping a woman while off duty. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police officer Ross Benson, of the northwest basic command unit, has just been fired after assaulting a 12-year-old girl. Though you may celebrate the firing of this officer, I wouldn’t applaud too quickly because the assault took place in 2018. This means it took six years for anything to be done about it. SIX. Both cases are disturbing on their own but are even more so when you realise a quick keyword search will find you more than just these two cases from this year. It’s made even worse when considered in the context of ongoing scandals within UK policing.
Just a few years ago, the country was rocked by the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met Police officer, Wayne Couzens. This horrific event should have sparked meaningful reforms, yet it seems we’ve made little progress. Cases like Lavender’s and Bright’s suggest that the same poisonous culture persists, one that enables, excuses, and often covers up sexual misconduct within its ranks.
It’s hard to read these reports without recalling the Casey Review, which exposed widespread misogyny, racism, and homophobia within the Metropolitan Police. Published earlier this year, the report recommended a major overhaul in leadership, training, and culture. Yet, here we are, seeing headlines that suggest little has changed. The systemic failure to address sexual misconduct is more than just a blight on police reputations—it’s a threat to public safety, particularly for women.
For every case that makes it to court, many more are likely silenced or buried. These latest incidents reflect a law enforcement culture that shields its own and perpetuates harmful behaviour, a reality we should no longer have to confront. If anything, the allegations against officers like Lavender are evidence that we haven’t moved forward from the days of Sarah Everard, where public trust in the police was shattered.
How many more times must we hear of officers abusing their power before meaningful reform is actually implemented? We cannot continue to tolerate a system that appears more interested in protecting its own members than safeguarding the public, particularly women, from harm. These latest cases are not outliers; they are a continuation of a pattern that has been allowed to fester within policing for too long. It is not enough for police officers accused of such heinous crimes to simply be suspended. We need real accountability, transparency, and action from leadership within the forces.
If the police are truly committed to protecting the public, then they need to start by cleaning up their own ranks. These cases, following the Casey report and the tragedy of Sarah Everard, show us that time is up for the old excuses. It’s no longer just about a few bad apples; it’s about a system that keeps allowing these apples to rot and endanger the very people they are supposed to protect.
