Former South Yorkshire Police officer arrested on suspicion of rape - as sixth woman comes forward

The arrest comes as part of an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation into historic complaints from survivors of child sexual exploitation and abuse in Rotherham relating to SYP officers.

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Two other former SYP officers were arrested late last year on suspicion of sexual offences and misconduct in public office. The offending was reported to have happened while those former officers, who were both based in Rotherham, were both on and off duty and reportedly occurred between 1995 and 2002.

This latest arrest - which took place on Monday (March 31) - is of a former constable in his fifties, who is accused of raping a teenage girl in Rotherham in 2004.

He has now been released on bail.

SYP first referred a complaint to the IOPC in October 2024, and the current investigation is being carried out by the local major crime unit under the watchdog’s control.

This was followed by more complaints from a second woman in November and complaints from two further women in December.

In late January, a fifth complainant came forward and last week a complaint from a sixth woman was referred to the IOPC. The arrest this week relates to this latest complaint.

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IOPC director Emily Barry said: “We are now investigating serious complaints by six women of sexual offending by former SYP officers.

“These complaints are being handled sensitively and thoroughly investigated and a third former officer has now been arrested.

“At the end of the investigation we will decide whether a file of evidence will be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider criminal charges.”

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