Police sexual misconduct has been under the spotlight like never before following the high-profile cases of Sarah Everard and the uncovering of serial rapist David Carrick. It is never far from the news.

The BBC states that it has learnt that individual forces are failing vulnerable women in 'botched' or delayed investigations taking years to complete and rarely leading to misconduct sanctions or criminal charges.

I have seen first hand both the conduct of the police in these investigations and the impact this 'breach of confidence and faith' can have on victims of police officers.

We act for a victim in a case against the police where our client took the brave step to report a historic rape. Her treatment by the police has left her feeling more like the perpetrator than the victim. The PC she reported the rape to started making regular contact and contact of a more personal nature, including photographs, over Snapchat and Facebook. Her complaint about the PC was ignored. She later discovered that she was one of six victims of the PC's abuse and sexual advances. She discovered she was the second of his victims and he had been allowed to continue with his conduct despite her complaints about his behaviour. She was left feeling violated all over again. She has lost all faith and trust in the police force.

This abuse of power and trust has left her with a psychological injury and affected her future prospects.

We also act for a victim of the police in a Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) case. This client was groomed and raped by an officer who helped in a local youth centre from the age of 15.  

He was charged with criminal offences. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment and served three years. 

To say that this has ruined her life is an understatement. She has a diagnosis of Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, has not worked for the majority of her adult life, has attempted suicide on numerous occasions and is afraid to leave her home.

It remains to be seen whether changes can be made to this serious corruption within the police.

In the meantime, it is one of the most rewarding areas of my work to be able to help these women in some small way.