Ex-PSNI officer’s sexual offences likely to be in the “hundreds”

Nuala McAllister, a politician from Northern Ireland, has said that the number of serious sexual offences committed by a unnamed former police officer in Northern Ireland possibly run into the hundreds. She described the numbers as “absolutely huge“. The Alliance Party Assembly member for Belfast North serves on the Policing Board. This board is intended to hold police in the North of Ireland to account.

The alleged offender was a serving officer at the time of the alleged crimes, which victims say were committed across almost an entire decade between 2000 and 2009.

McAllister made these comments following the announcement by the Police Ombudsman, which said they would be:

…allocating all available resources to ensure [our investigation] will be victim-centred, effective and efficient.

Ombudsman vows to prioritise investigation

The ombudsman’s initial arrest of the officer was on 17 December 2025. Since then it has been compiling additional evidence. Ombudsman chief executive, Hugh Hume, has said:

We have identified multiple potential victims, together with a substantial number of witnesses. We have also seized a large volume of material, including a significant amount of digital evidence, during a search operation.

He went on to point out that the the sheer scale of the investigation may impact other commitments:

Our resources are finite and this means that the timeliness of our other casework may be affected. However, this is the reality of balancing the demands of our complaints across the Office with the need to progress this complex and expanding investigation. If we do not prioritise now, in the long term we risk compromising the service we provide to complainants and victims, and public confidence in this office and the PSNI.

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MLA Colin McGrath suggested there’s already a risk of confidence in the ombudsman’s work being undermined, saying:

An ombudsman, whenever they are carrying out their work, should not have to prioritise their workload, they should be able to deliver their workload.

This is especially concerning because the officer was part of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in 2000. This police force has a troubled history. The RUC was known for its sectarian (religiously biased) policing. Moreover, it collaborated with loyalist groups in the murders of Catholics.

In 2001, the force was renamed the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). However, the  officer under investigation continued his crimes for nearly a decade. This raises doubt about the effectiveness of police reform. Furthermore, the lack of resources for the ombudsman to ensure accountability only adds to these concerns.

Off-duty cops phoning DV victims

The Ulster Unionist Party leader, Jon Burrows, claims the ombudsman is wasting too much time investigating “late paperwork.” This sounds a lot like the government’s ‘efficiency savings‘ rhetoric amid ruthless cuts to public services.

He did, however, provide some useful insights from his time as head of the PSNI Discipline Unit. He held this role in the period 2019-2021. He discussed the case of another officer involved in abusive behaviour. This officer attended domestic violence calls and interacted with vulnerable women.

Whenever they got back to their station and they were on their own and they get back home, they would take the mobile number of the victim and they would start sending them personal messages from their own phone on WhatsApp.

They would just start that relationship building. Someone who had literally just been the victim of domestic violence, is receiving hours later off-duty, the investigating officer contacting them.

Burrows appeared to suggest there is no existing policy against this. Or, at least if there is, it is not properly enforced.

There needs to be a red line by the Chief Constable, you never use your personal phone in messaging victims. It’s done through your official phone and recorded on the investigation log.

The PSNI appear to be struggling with issues around sexual offences, handling far more cases than those mentioned. The Ditch reported in February this year that:

There were almost 50 domestic abuse accusations against PSNI officers in the last two years – but just a single dismissal and 17 incidents when no further action was taken.

The allegations include physical abuse, coercive control, harassment and sexual abuse and were made against officers from constable to superintendent rank.

Of the 46 complaints since January 2024, 22 cases remain ongoing. Of the 24 concluded cases four officers resigned or retired while two were subject to action from management.

“No further action” was the most common outcome – accounting for 17 cases, or 71 percent, according to records released to The Ditch under freedom of information.

They also cited a VICE 2021 investigation which discovered:

…two-thirds of concluded PSNI domestic abuse complaints between 2015 and 2021 resulted in no further action.

A history of failing women

Of course, appalling sexual violence from police isn’t confined to Northern Irish officers. The Metropolitan Police gave us the vile David Carrick who in 2022 pleaded guilty to 49 charges, of which 24 were rape.

Wayne Couzens, who served in the Kent Police and the Met, abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard in March 2021.

He had a history of indecent exposure that was overlooked during vetting, and by police disciplinary bodies.

These crimes, whether committed by Northern Irish or British officers, are not only avoidable, they are enabled by a culture of impunity, procedural laxity, and, above all, an ingrained institutional disregard and hatred towards women across our police forces.

Featured image via the Canary/Unsplash