Lee Ross: South Yorkshire Police constable accused of inappropriate/unwanted touching of five fellow officers
A police constable with South Yorkshire Police is set to face allegations relating to the unwanted and/or inappropriate touching of five fellow officers at a misconduct hearing.
The allegations have been made against Police Constable Lee Ross, documents published by the force on Monday, January 13 reveal.
He is set to go before a misconduct hearing on Monday next Monday, January 20.
The time period covered within the allegations faced by PC Ross spans 11 months, from August 2021 to June 2022.
The allegations, as set out in documents announcing the misconduct hearing, are as follows: “It is alleged that in or around August 2021, the officer subjected PC A to unwanted and/or inappropriate touching.
“It is alleged that on or around 11 December 2021, the officer subjected PC A to unwanted and/or inappropriate touching.
“It is alleged that on or around 11 March 2022, the officer subjected PC A to unwanted and/or inappropriate touching.
“It is alleged that on or around 10 April 2022, the officer subjected PC B to unwanted and/or inappropriate touching.
“It is alleged that on or around 10 June 2022, the officer subjected PC B to unwanted and/or inappropriate touching.
“It is alleged that on or around 10 April 2022, the officer subjected PC C to unwanted and/or inappropriate touching.
“It is alleged that on or around 10 June 2022, the officer subjected PC D to unwanted and/or inappropriate touching.
“It is alleged that between 2021 and 2022, the officer subjected PC E to unwanted and/or inappropriate touching.”
Should the allegations against PC Ross be proven, they would reportedly amount to a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct and authority, respect and courtesy.
“The breaches if found have been assessed as so serious as to justify dismissal and therefore constitute gross misconduct,” the documents state.
Detailing the ‘purpose’ of public misconduct hearings, South Yorkshire Police’s website states it is to ‘show’ that their ‘disciplinary system is open and transparent’ and to demonstrate that the force does ‘hold officers who breach the standards of professional behaviour, or those where misconduct is found proven, accountable for their actions’.
Hearings should be heard by a panel of three people that should be chaired by an independent legally qualified person chosen from a pool held by the local policing body, further guidance states.