By Emily Caulkett-
A serving officer and a former officer of the Police Service of Northern Ireland are to be prosecuted for allegedly sharing images of dead bodies, including that of a person who took their own life.
It has now emerged that there is sufficient evidence to charge the two with misconduct in public office after an investigation by the police ombudsman, the public prosecution service said on Tuesday.
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It is understood that one of the officers has already been dismissed from the PSNI, while the other officer is suspended from duty. The investigation, called Operation Warwick, examined a number of incidents, including the alleged sharing of imagery taken at the scenes of sudden deaths.
“Four families connected to one or both investigations after the death of a loved one in sudden circumstances have been informed of the outcome of their respective files by the PPS,” a spokesperson said.
Martin Hardy, assistant director of the PPS, said they would continue to engage with the families involved as the two separate prosecutions progress.
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A PSNI spokesperson said: “The criminal investigation is being carried out by the police ombudsman. It would be in appropriate to comment further at this time.”
The BBC Northern Ireland current affairs programme Spotlight first disclosed the allegations last year. Relatives of a man who took his own life in 2017 expressed concern about the behaviour of officers at the scene.
In a separate case in England two Metropolitan police officers were jailed in 2021 for taking and sharing pictures of two murder victims.
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