The former head of Scotland Yard will not face a disciplinary hearing following claims that he dismissed rape complaints as ‘regretful sex’.
Sir Stephen House, who served as acting Met Commissioner in 2022, was accused by a Home Office adviser of describing the bulk of rape complaints as being the result of ‘regretful sex’.
But the officer strongly denied the claim and said he must have been misheard during a meeting between senior officers and academics as part of Operation Soteria, a Government project to improve the police response to rape.
Yesterday the police watchdog announced that he had been cleared of any wrongdoing despite ‘evidence’ that he made the remark, after officials concluded it was just a ‘misunderstanding’.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation in March last year after Professor Betsy Stanko, a Home Office-appointed adviser helping to conduct a review into rape prosecutions, made the allegations.
Sir Stephen House (pictured), who served as acting Met Commissioner in 2022, was accused by a Home Office adviser of describing the bulk of rape complaints as being the result of ‘regretful sex’
But the officer strongly denied the claim and said he must have been misheard during a meeting between senior officers and academics as part of Operation Soteria, a Government project to improve the police response to rape. Pictured: New Scotland Yard
She described Sir Stephen as being rude throughout the meeting in January 2022.
The senior officer was accused of saying rape and sexual assault is not equivalent to serious violence or knife crime and it was alleged that he had used the phrase ‘bog of domestics’ during a discussion about the overlap between domestic abuse and rape.
Sir Stephen vehemently denied the allegations, but later accepted he may have used the phrase ‘regretful sex’ in a different context when questioning research findings.
Yesterday the IOPC concluded he had not breached police standards of professional behaviour.
IOPC director Amanda Rowe said the investigation had been hampered by the lack of detailed minutes or notes from the meeting.
She said: ‘Both Prof Stanko and Sir Stephen are of impeccable good character and have served long and esteemed careers in the public service for which they have been awarded the highest honours.
‘This meeting involved robust challenges between professionals with differing styles and there may have been an element of a personality clash.
‘Professional discussions on sensitive matters will rarely amount to breaches of the standards of professional behaviour.
‘We found evidence that indicated Sir Stephen did use the phrase ‘regretful sex’, but the recollections of those present do not indicate it was used in the context alleged, and in our view there has been a degree of misunderstanding.’
Following the resignation of Dame Cressida Dick, Sir Stephen was appointed Acting Commissioner from April to September 2022.
Sir Stephen vehemently denied the allegations, but later accepted he may have used the phrase ‘regretful sex’ in a different context when questioning research findings
In a statement, he said: ‘I am pleased that the IOPC recognised that I have demonstrated a clear record, throughout my career of prioritising the policing of rape and serious sexual offences and domestic abuse and that I helped to ensure that the resources were in place to be able to facilitate the Met in being one of the first police services to proactively engage with Operation Soteria.
‘The IOPC have found that I have no case to answer on all of the allegations. Their findings underline my long-standing commitment to combating violence against women and domestic abuse.
‘I bitterly regret that these allegations have helped to undermine public confidence in the commitment of the Metropolitan Police to support the victims of rape and I hope that the findings may help to reassure the public of the strength of that commitment.’