UPDATE: Sussex Police responds to Jimmy Savile IPCC findings

Sussex Police has pledged an ‘ever-more coordinated’ approach to sexual assault investigations, following criticism by the police watchdog.
A Hove speed camera took a battering when a motorist crashed his car into itA Hove speed camera took a battering when a motorist crashed his car into it
A Hove speed camera took a battering when a motorist crashed his car into it

The Independent Police Complaints Commission released a report today (May 12) criticising the way four officers from Worthing CID handled an allegation made in 2008 about a sex assault by Jimmy Savile in the town in 1970.

“We co-operated fully with the IPCC investigation announced in June last year, their report on which is published today, and we note they agree wth our view that the four officers referred to have no case to answer for misconduct,” said a spokesman.

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He said the IPCC agreed with the force this matter ‘was not a conduct issue, but a performance issue’.

“Our current policy on the investigation of sexual offences, twice updated since 2008, now fully takes into account all the issues raised by the IPCC report,” he said.

“And this year we are bringing together the investigation of all sexual offences into our specialist safeguarding investigation units which already investigate all other reports of child and adult abuse. This is helping ensure an ever more co-ordinated and consistent approach to all such investigations.”

This document is available to view here.

“The policy was updated long prior to, and not as a result of, this investigation,” he added.

The officers were not suspended during the IPCC investigation and continue to work as operational CID officers.

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