Woman who reported predatory officer blamed by Met
A woman who was groomed by a predatory police officer has received an apology from the Metropolitan Police after the force blamed her and spread false information about her mental health instead of investigating him.
Lorraine – not her real name – accused the Met of trying to discredit her over her complaints against PC Phil Hunter, whom she met when he made a welfare visit to her home in 2017.
In a letter seen by the BBC, Acting Det Ch Supt Neil Smithson, who leads the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), apologised for "a series of failings" over a seven-year period.
PC Hunter, who is no longer a police officer, was found guilty of gross misconduct at a disciplinary panel in August.
In a statement issued to the BBC, Det Supt Smithson said he had corresponded with Lorraine on a number of occasions.
"I do not underestimate the effect that this matter has had on this victim... I want to be clear, it is unacceptable for any officer to abuse their position of trust and I would like to acknowledge and apologise for the distress this has caused."
PC Hunter was described as a "sexual predator who used his position to take advantage of vulnerable women".
The letter the BBC has seen states that "victim-blaming has occurred towards you by members of the Metropolitan Police and this is not acceptable".
Lorraine said she found the details "shocking".
She said she had always suspected her complaints had not been investigated because the Met incorrectly believed she had poor mental health.
"I tried to report him over and over again and they completely ignored me and I now know why. To actually see it in black and white is just horrendous."
The disciplinary panel heard that, over a period of two years, PC Hunter sent Lorraine inappropriate messages, and tried to isolate her from friends and family, as part of a "deliberate" and "predatory" plan to have a sexual relationship with her.
PC Hunter retired in 2019, while under investigation for a case involving another vulnerable woman he had also met during a welfare visit, and with whom he had started a sexual relationship.
He was found guilty of gross misconduct a year later for his behaviour towards her.
Despite the DPS being aware that PC Hunter had already targeted another victim in similar circumstances, Lorraine's complaints were ignored.
Astonishing! He had a history of doing what she accused him of, and they immediately blamed her and not him. There is something seriously wrong there, and it needs to be thoroughly investigated.
The letter from the DPS admits her initial allegations were not recorded and were "not given the weight that they should have been", and that it took her "numerous attempts over a period of 18 months" before officers investigated.
It says decisions may have been influenced by the belief that Lorraine was suffering from mental health issues, which it conceded "did not have basis in fact".
'Fabricated' claims
The DPS's letter said that inaccurate information had been recorded about Lorraine on police systems, which were not updated when she provided the force with new information.
Instead, the information was shared with others over the following seven years.
A senior officer told social services that he believed Lorraine had mental health issues, and tried to contact her GP without her consent.
The Met also incorrectly told external agencies that Lorraine had fabricated some allegations, and defamatory information about her was passed by a third party to her GP.
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Lorraine said she was deeply concerned
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