Key facts
- Up to 50 serving Police Scotland officers are suspended over allegations of violence against women and girls.
- Chief Constable Jo Farrell expects more accusations to come to light.
- A review is examining the vetting process for officers like Alan Greer, who was a serial rapist.
- Greer had prior reports of criminal behavior against women when he joined Strathclyde Police in 2009.
- Cameron Ross and Jay Skivington are two other former officers convicted of violent offenses against women this year.
- New vetting rules allow for the dismissal of officers found unsuitable for service.
Police Scotland's Chief Constable Jo Farrell has revealed that between 40 and 50 serving officers are currently suspended as investigations proceed into allegations of violence against women and girls. Farrell anticipates that further accusations will emerge, following convictions of former officers for sexual offenses.
A review is underway into the case of Alan Greer, a former officer who took his own life in May and was later exposed as a serial rapist. Greer had reportedly passed vetting checks in 2009 for what was then Strathclyde Police, despite existing reports of criminal behavior against women. The review aims to determine if vetting process gaps allowed his offending to continue.
Farrell noted that approximately 8,000 officers still need to be re-vetted following regulatory changes earlier this year. She described the scale of violence against women and girls in Scotland as an "epidemic." Since the implementation of new rules, between 300 and 400 officers have undergone re-vetting. These recent changes, according to Farrell, make it easier to dismiss officers found unsuitable for service.
In addition to Greer, two other former officers have been exposed as rapists this year: Cameron Ross, who was jailed for 10 years for raping two women, and Jay Skivington, who received a non-harassment order for violent offenses. HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Craig Naylor stated that incidents involving officers are taken very seriously by Police Scotland and that improvements in vetting and conduct are being made.