By Chris Williamson-
Norfolk Police force have paid a staggering sum of £270,000 in compensation to female officers, sexually assaulted by a police doctor decades ago.
In a revelation that reveals the shame, scandal, and lack of integrity of the police force, their top chiefs have bene forced to admit serious failings and coverups after 13 allegations of sexual assaults by their own police recruits were brushed aside.Worse, is the fact that senior police officers in the force encouraged silence when they should have been aggressively pursuing justice.
Dr Hugh O’Neill was first jailed in January 2015 for 12 years for two rapes and three counts of gross indecency.
A year later, his sentence was extended by another three year after he admitted sexually assaulting 13 police officers, in historic crimes going back to 1993.
Police bosses have apologized for “failings” in the handling of sex abuse allegations against a force medic.
63 year old Hugh Blaise O’Neill was medical adviser to Norfolk Police between 1991 and 2003 who preyed on young female police officers.
He was highly regarded and well connected in the force. Allegations made against him by new recruits against in 1993 and 2002 resulted in no charges brought against him.
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An inquiry was carried out by Essex Police Serious Crime Directorate after the handling of the two investigations was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2014.
Chief Constable Simon Bailey acknowledged that regrettably, there had been failings in both the 1993 and 2002 . Officers and police staff involved in both investigations faced no further actions.
“On behalf of the victims it was vital that we examined and assessed the organisation’s response, notwithstanding the fact that they would all recognize that the way in which the police respond to and deal with allegations such as these has changed considerably since the investigations took place,” Mr Bailey said.
“I am acutely aware of the impact this case has had on the affected officers.
“I’m sorry that during the recent criminal investigation and the Essex inquiry those involved had to relive the experiences which they endured at the hands of O’Neill.”
O’Neill pleaded guilty to 13 offences against mainly new police recruits during medical examinations between 1991 and 2001.
He was jailed for three years in April 2016. The sentence was added to a 12-year term he was given in January 2015 for raping two children.
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INVESTIGATION
Today, an investigation by the local Norfolk newspaper, The Eastern Daily Express, has revealed new evidence about the full scale of abuse carried out by O’Neill and the way the force handled the complaints at the time. The evidence shows that despite police regarding the complaints as being of a criminal nature, they deliberately covered it up.
The evidence reveals:
A total of 33 serving or retired police officers have made allegations against O’Neill, 20 more than was revealed in court.
Legal action brought against Norfolk Constabulary by the victims resulted in pay outs totalling almost £270,000.
A recommendation to launch a criminal investigation in 1993 was not acted on.
A Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) review into potential criminal charges against senior officers was hindered because a key file has disappeared.
It has also emerged that senior officers tasked with investigating O’Neill in 1993 will not face criminal charges following the CPS review, which concluded last month.
Assistant chief constable of Norfolk Police in 2003 Simon Taylor told O’Neill’s victims at that time there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him. #Photo: Bill Smith Assistant chief constable of Norfolk Police in 2003 Simon Taylor told O’Neill’s victims at that time there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him. #Photo: Bill Smith
Chief constable Simon Bailey who handled the referrals said the force has learned lessons from the case, but they should have got it right first time.
One victim said senior officers who failed to investigate allegations against the family GP in 1993 “should have O’Neill’s sexual assaults on their conscience”.
“You have to ask the question – had police done something in 1993, would that have prevented him from doing what he did next?” she said.
The case goes back to October 1993 when four policewomen reported the Norfolk Constabulary doctor had acted inappropriately during medical examinations. A month later, an internal investigation into O’Neill was was shamefully brought to an abrupt halt after eight allegations had been made.
SILENT
The decision whether to bring charges against senior officers from 1993 for misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice was taken by a specialist prosecutor with the special crime division of the CPS in April 2017.
She found that O’Neill’s victims felt the case had been “swept under the carpet”, but others shockingly claimed they were warned by senior officers to stay silent.
Reporters from the Eastern Daily Express told the eye of media.com that initially “officers correctly reported the matter up the chain of command”.
A serious sexual offences trained officer was assigned to make a report, which was then faxed to a chief superintendent.
Its conclusion read: “There are enough indicators…to begin to treat this as a possible criminal case rather than simply a matter of poor practice.”
However, no action was taken. A chief superintendent and the deputy chief constable met with O’Neill to discuss the evidence. O’Neill was then sent a letter by the chief constable in which he expressed his regret for causing the doctor distress and said there was “no evidence to support any suggestion of improper behavior” on his part.
In a letter to victims, the CPS also said they were “hindered by the lack of evidence which has survived” from 1993 because the original investigation file could not be found. The CPS also expressed issue with the fact that no independent medical evidence was sought with which to challenge O’Neill and said there had been “a serious error in judgment”.
“The sheer number of complainants together with the recommendation of the sexual offences officer should surely have raised concerns and merited a further and more detailed investigation,” said Ms Morrison.
O’Neill was able to rebuff the allegations and continued in his role until being dismissed in 2003 after more victims came forward.
Another investigation was launched but still he was not prosecuted.
Assistant chief constable Simon Taylor said in 2003 in a letter to complainants there was “no factual dispute” about what O’Neill had done, but there was insufficient evidence to prove he had been indecent.
He said: “Dr O’Neill operated in a manner which made some individuals feel uncomfortable in that he appeared to be fairly robust in his examination but gave very little account of what he was doing and the reasons for it.”
Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey said the failures of two investigations into Hugh O’Neill in 1993 and 2002 are Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey said the failures of two investigations into Hugh O’Neill in 1993 and 2002 are “a matter of great regret”. Photo: Steve Adams
Only in 2014, when a victim of serious sexual assault not connected to O’Neill’s job came forward, did the police finally wake up and smell the coffee.
A probe was then launched by Essex Police Serious Crime Directorate this year into Norfolk’s mishandling of allegations against O’Neill.
Norfolk’s deputy chief constable Nick Dean then found four senior officers responsible for the 1993 and 2002 investigations may have cases to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct. However, they all retired, and escaped justice.
DETAILED
Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey, said the investigation from Essex Police as “one of the most detailed and extensive in the Constabulary’s history”.
He confirmed 33 officers have to date made allegations against O’Neill and that the force paid out £269,500 in costs and settlements to victims.
The way police forces respond to allegations of sexual assault has “changed considerably” since 1993 and that lessons have been learned, he added.
“Our primary focus in any investigation is the victim or victims and I am acutely aware of the impact non-recent sexual abuse cases can
have on those involved,” he said.
“Hugh O’Neill was a sexual predator who operated in plain sight using his professional role to abuse the trust of the very people who are expected to protect others from such abuse.
“His conviction was the result of a lengthy enquiry and is one of many complex cases investigated by the force which has led to successful prosecutions in recent years.
CONCERNING
Following O’Neill’s conviction in 2016, Mr Bailey commissioned Essex Police to conduct a review int how the force handled previous investigations in 1993 and 2002.
He described the fact they had not resulted in any criminal action as “concerning” but said the force has since been “open and honest” with the public.
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“It was imperative that we examined and assessed the organisation’s response to the original allegations made,” he said.
“The report found some failings in both previous investigations which is a matter of great regret.
“However, it is important to recognise the way the police service and society responds to allegations of this nature has changed considerably since these original enquiries took place.”