A PSNI officer has received a final written warning after a Police Ombudsman investigation found he had a relationship with a domestic abuse victim he met while on duty.

The relationship, which was consensual and took place in 2013, was found by a PSNI misconduct panel to be a breach of the Code of Ethics and to amount to gross misconduct.

The victim first met the officer at a police station when she reported allegations of repeated assaults against her former partner. The officer later contacted her by phone and attended her home, at which point she decided not to pursue criminal proceedings. It was at the end of this visit that the officer asked her if she would go out with him. The relationship lasted for approximately one month while the officer was off duty.

The matter was referred to the Police Ombudsman for investigation in 2022, and the officer admitted the relationship, stating that he believed it was acceptable as the criminal case had been closed. However, he accepted that his actions were inappropriate.

A file was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), but it did not meet the test for prosecution. Nikki Davis, Director of Investigations with the Police Ombudsman’s Office, said that as soon as the police officer moved his interaction from the professional to the personal, "his conduct became inappropriate." She added that it is "critical that any victim has the confidence and trust in police to come forward and make that disclosure" and that the officer "should have been able to trust that the police officer investigating her allegations would treat her with respect and not attempt to exploit the situation for his own gain". The misconduct panel found the officer failed to treat the victim with sensitivity, failed to act with integrity, and behaved in a way likely to bring discredit upon the Police Service.

In response, Superintendent Julie Mullan of the PSNI said the sanction of a final written warning "reflects the seriousness with which the Police Service of Northern Ireland views misconduct involving violence against women and girls." She added that the service has a "service-wide statement of intent" making it explicit that there will be "no tolerance for police officers and police staff who abuse their power for sexual gain." Superintendent Mullan said the force is taking proactive action in line with its VAWG Action Plan and Power to Change campaign and encourages anyone who suspects a member of the service of abusing their position to report it.