Complaints of cover up of child abuse investigations

Mae'r ymateb i'r cais hwn yn hwyr iawn. Yn ôl y gyfraith, ym mhob amgylchiad, dylai Essex Police fod wedi ymateb erbyn hyn. (manylion). Gallwch gwyno drwy yn gofyn am adolygiad mewnol.

Dear Essex Police,

I would like to know statistics on child abuse accusations. Please go back as far as possible as costs dictate, however I would like to see stats for at least 4 years if this is possible.

1. How many complaints have you had from parents or guardians that social services lied to cover up child abuse accusations? What I mean by lie is mislead others, supress or falsify evidence, intimidate witnesses or any other misdemeanours that would be considered to pervert the course of justice to protect a suspected paedophile. Please name the councils.

2. How many complaints have you had from professionals that social services lied to cover up child abuse accusations? What I mean by lie is misled others, supress or falsify evidence, intimidate witnesses or any other misdemeanours that would be considered to pervert the course of justice to protect a suspected paedophile. Please elaborate what agency or profession the professional(s) were in. Please name the councils.

3. How many “cover up” of child abuse investigations (detailed in 1 & 2 above) have you investigated and outcomes?

4. How many “cover up” of child abuse investigations (detailed in 1 & 2 above) have you refused to investigate and reasons why?

5. How many “cover up” of child abuse investigations (detailed in 1 & 2 above) have you investigated half-heartedly? What I mean by half-heartedly is mislead the complainant that an investigation took place but in fact no or little investigation took place.

6. How many complaints to yourself, Professional Standards, IOPC or judicial reviews have you had pertaining to Q5 above? Please provide outcomes.

7. How many investigations have your force had from external police forces against your force or individual officers within your force pertaining to cover up or sabotage of child abuse investigations? Please list outcomes and list the referral of each investigation.

8. How many instructions to investigate have you had from agencies such as the Home Office forcing you to investigate when you force has previously refused, investigated or conducted a half-heartedly investigation. Please list where each referral came from.

9. How many child abuse investigations referrals have you been given and out of these how many were referred to CPS for review / guidance /and / or prosecution?

10. Referring back to Q1 & 2, How many “coverup of child abuse investigations referrals have you been given and out of these how many were referred to CPS for review / guidance / and / or prosecution?

11. How many officers that were employed by your force have been or currently on the sex offender’s register. Please supply rank and if it is in the public domain, the name of the officer.

Yours faithfully,

Charles Brennan

Info Rights Freedom Essex, Essex Police

1 Atodiad

Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference. 

 

Please note that Essex Police are actively publishing information within
our publication scheme webpage, information supplied as part of this
request could be used within the scheme.  Please click on the following
link to search details of existing publications
[3]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac....

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act we are required to reply within 20
working days.  The Act does not specify a limit to the number of
information requests a public authority may receive or the number of
requests or questions an applicant may submit.  However, there are
exemptions in the Act that can apply and these include where the cost of
complying with the request would extend beyond the reasonable cost limit,
(currently 18 hours or £450), or if the request is otherwise manifestly
unreasonable in its scope or nature. 

 

Requests that ask a great many questions, or a number of detailed requests
submitted at the same time, may make it necessary for Essex Police to
refuse the requests wholly or in part.  The exemption at Section 14 may be
engaged if the burden on the authority is increased through multiple
requests on differing subjects.

 

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has responsibility for
providing oversight and guidance for the legislation and they have
produced advice for applicants on submitting effective requests.  Further
information can be found on the Commissioner’s website at
[4]www.ico.gov.uk, specific information relating to submitting a request
can be found at: 
[5]https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici...

 

While we process your request, please take the time to consider the ICO’s
advice and whether you feel it may be beneficial to amend or refine your
request.  Our team is happy to discuss your request with you and will be
able to provide advice as to what kind of information will be available
from Essex Police.

 

Although every effort will be made to ensure a response is provided within
statutory deadlines, due to current circumstances, delays may be
unavoidable.  We apologise for any inconvenience and will endeavour to
process your request as quickly as is practicable.

 

Kind regards

 

 

FOI Team | Information Management Department | Information Rights Section
| Essex Police

Telephone: 101 | Email: [6][Essex Police request email]

Address: Information Management Department, Information Rights Section,
Essex Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA  (for Sat Nav directions,
use CM2 6DN for HQ)

 

Information Management aspires to be: Helpful, Inclusive & Professional

 

Essex Police have developed a publication strategy, our aim is to reduce
the demand within the FOI Department and to provide knowledge to the
public to include previous and combined FOI requests together with
relevant links and information.

 

Please visit this area of our website before submitting FOI requests as
information may already be available.

 

[7]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac...

Please note, if you require further information or wish to resubmit a
request please refer to the information found on the Commissioner’s
website regarding submission of effective requests:
[8]https://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/of...

 

Your right to complain

 

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.

 

Complaints should be submitted within 20 working days from the date of
this response and should be addressed to the Senior Information Officer at
the above address or by email to: [9]info.rights.freedom@essex. police.uk

 

We will conduct a review to investigate your complaint and endeavour to
reply within 20 working days.

 

Please explain which aspect of the reply you are not satisfied with, and
if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption it would
assist the review if you would outline why you believe the exemption does
not apply.

 

If you are still dissatisfied following our review, you have the right
under Section 50 of the Act to complain directly to the Information
Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information
Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints
procedures provided by Essex Police.

 

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF or via [10]https://ico.org.uk/

 

 

 

dangos adrannau a ddyfynnir

Info Rights Freedom Essex, Essex Police

2 Atodiad

Link: [1]File-List
Link: [2]Edit-Time-Data

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference.

 

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties
on public authorities.  Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section
1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a
request is held.  The second duty at Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose
information that has been confirmed as being held.  Where exemptions are
relied upon Section 17 of the FOIA requires that we provide the applicant
with a notice which: a) states that fact b) specifies the exemption(s) in
question and c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the
exemption applies.

 

In respect of your enquiry:

 

I would like to know statistics on child abuse accusations. Please go back
as far as possible as costs dictate, however I would like to see stats for
at least 4 years if this is possible.

 

1.            How many complaints have you had from parents or guardians
that social services lied to cover up child abuse accusations? What I mean
by lie is mislead others, supress or falsify evidence, intimidate
witnesses or any other misdemeanours that would be considered to pervert
the course of justice to protect a suspected paedophile. Please name the
councils.

 

2.            How many complaints have you had from professionals that
social services lied to cover up child abuse accusations? What I mean by
lie is misled others, supress or falsify evidence, intimidate witnesses or
any other misdemeanours that would be considered to pervert the course of
justice to protect a suspected paedophile. Please elaborate what agency or
profession the professional(s) were in. Please name the councils.

 

3.            How many “cover up” of child abuse investigations (detailed
in 1 & 2 above) have you investigated and outcomes?

 

4.            How many “cover up” of child abuse investigations (detailed
in 1 & 2 above) have you refused to investigate and reasons why?

 

5.            How many “cover up” of child abuse investigations (detailed
in 1 & 2 above) have you investigated half-heartedly? What I mean by
half-heartedly is mislead the complainant that an investigation took place
but in fact no or little investigation took place.

 

6.            How many complaints to yourself, Professional Standards,
IOPC or judicial reviews have you had pertaining to Q5 above? Please
provide outcomes.

 

7.            How many investigations have your force had from external
police forces against your force or individual officers within your force
pertaining to cover up or sabotage of child abuse investigations? Please
list outcomes and list the referral of each investigation.

 

8.            How many instructions to investigate have you had from
agencies such as the Home Office forcing you to investigate when you force
has previously refused, investigated or conducted a half-heartedly
investigation. Please list where each referral came from.

 

9.            How many child abuse investigations referrals have you been
given and out of these how many were referred to CPS for review / guidance
/and / or prosecution?

 

10.          Referring back to Q1 & 2, How many “coverup of child abuse
investigations referrals have you been given and out of these how many
were referred to CPS for review / guidance / and / or prosecution?

 

11.          How many officers that were employed by your force have been
or currently on the sex offender’s register. Please supply rank and if it
is in the public domain, the name of the officer.

 

Having completed enquiries within Essex Police in respect of Section
1(1)(a), Essex Police does hold information relating to your request,
however, the obligation of Section 1(1)(b) cannot be met as Essex Police
does not hold all the information requested in a format that allows it to
be retrieved within the time and cost limits of FOI.

 

When responding to a request for information under the terms of the FOIA,
a public authority is not obliged to provide information if the authority
estimates that the cost of the retrieval of the information requested
would be in excess of £450 (equivalent to 18 hours work).  The costs
criteria relates to a request in its entirety, which means that if we
cannot retrieve all of the information requested within the costs limit,
we are not obliged to retrieve any of the information requested.

 

Section 12(1) of the FOIA states that a public authority is not obliged
to:

 

“…comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that
the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate
limit.”

 

The following explanation outlines the difficulty Essex Police has in
answering your request:

 

Essex Police are unable to accurately extract the level of detail in
relation to your request from our current systems.  Essex Police systems
are designed primarily for the management of individual cases and not
primarily for the production of statistical information for FOI
responses.  This request would entail manually extracting the requested
data from the Public Protection Unit and Professional Standards Department
investigations and then reviewing each investigation one by one to
establish if related to a Social Services professional.  To establish if
information is held would, therefore, exceed the time and cost limits
under the FOIA and would qualify as the creation of data as the results
cannot be processed by means of purely sorting or filtering data sources
or running a database query tool. There is no requirement under the act to
create data purely to answer FOI requests.

 

Consequently, and to this extent, Essex Police are exempt from the duty to
provide information you have requested under the provisions of Section
12(1) of the FOIA.  Therefore, and in accordance with Section 17(1) of the
FOIA, this communication must act as a refusal notice to provide all of
the information that could be interpreted as being captured by this part
of your request.

 

Having said that, and in an effort to assist, although excess cost removes
the force’s obligations under the FOIA, Essex Police can confirm the
following:

 

The Home Office are not involved in the complaints process beyond setting
legislation and regulations. They cannot compel the force to investigate
anything. The overseer and guardianship role is performed by the IOPC and
the OPFCC.

 

Essex Police regularly receive FOI requests regarding misconduct and
complaints.  The conduct of a Police Officer or a Police Staff member is
an important issue and the following will provide further information.

 

Essex Police have an expectation that management and staff at all levels
will lead by example, consistently displaying behaviour in line with the
[3]Code of Ethics and ensuring adherence to legal requirements and to all
Essex Police policies, procedures and practices. Through Prevention,
Intelligence, Enforcement, Communication and Engagement, Essex Police is
committed to making sure the opportunity for corruption is reduced to the
lowest possible risk.  Where corruption is identified the organisation
will deal with it proportionately and effectively. 

 

A member of the public can lodge a complaint regarding conduct with the
Professional Standards Department (PSD), please see below link:

 

[4]https://www.essex.police.uk/advice/advic...

 

If a complaint is about the conduct of a Police Officer or member of
Police Staff made from a member of the public, the complaint will be
managed by PSD and dealt with by either the policing area or department it
relates to, through a local resolution or a local investigation.  This can
subsequently be appealed to either the Chief Constable or the Independent
Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) depending on the specifics of the
individual case if the complainant remains dissatisfied.  If local
resolution is not appropriate and the complaint considered serious, the
complaint will be investigated by the PSD.  Essex Police can also refer
matters to the IOPC who may decide to independently investigate certain
cases.

 

Internal conduct cases (from staff v staff) are managed by Human Resources
(HR) who will, if necessary refer to PSD for formal assessment.  If formal
misconduct is identified, HR will manage the investigation, however, PSD
will decide on whether there is a case to answer through a disciplinary
process.  Dependant on the circumstances, it can be in various forms, from
an informal warning to a formal disciplinary hearing.  Formal misconduct
cases are recorded by PSD on the conduct database.

 

The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) holds the Police
Force to account and has the legal power to hold the Chief Constable to
account.  This is an important issue and both the PFCC and the Police
Service need to be accountable and transparent in regard to this issue,
both regularly publish quarterly reports, which can be found via the
following link:

 

[5]http://www.essex.pfcc.police.uk/reportin...

 

Please note that the system used to manage complaints and investigations
is designed to follow the national guidelines regarding reporting. 
Statistics, therefore, follow the published guidelines based on set
complaint codes A-Y and Misconduct Categories.  Complaint and misconduct
data is recorded pre strand in a case.  It does not cover each Officer
allegation within a separate complaint.  Each complaint or misconduct case
is likely to have more than one complaint/misconduct strand or category
and could include multiple Officers subject to a complaint strand.

 

Additional mandatory referrals and requested reviews can also be viewed
via the IOPC web site.  The following link provides useful data and
explains further regarding coding and strands of misconduct and
complaints:

 

[6]https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/tags/es...

 

There are limitations in regard the type, terminology and detail of
information that can be extracted and provided under the FOIA in addition
to data already available and published.  The FOIA does not require new
data to be created in order to comply with a request, therefore, any
request that falls outside of the above complaint coding and misconduct
categories is likely to be qualify as the creation of data or potentially
attract the excess cost exemptions.

 

To increase openness and transparency misconduct hearings are now held in
public, (although in exceptional circumstances they can be held in
private).  This decision was announced by the Home Secretary in the spring
of 2015 and applies to all cases where an Officer is given notice to
attend a hearing after May 2015.  Further information regarding misconduct
hearings and upcoming hearings can also be found via the following links:

 

[7]https://www.essex.police.uk/advice/advic...

 

[8]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac...

 

Thank you for your interest in Essex Police and we are sorry that we have
not been able to provide the information you have requested on this
occasion.  If you do require further information a new request will need
to be submitted and the request will be dealt with accordingly.

 

Kind regards

 

 

FOI Team | Information Management Department | Information Rights Section
| Essex Police

Telephone: 101 | Email: [9][Essex Police request email]

Address: Information Management Department, Information Rights Section,
Essex Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA  (for Sat Nav directions,
use CM2 6DN for HQ)

 

Information Management aspires to be: Helpful, Inclusive & Professional

 

Essex Police have developed a publication strategy, our aim is to reduce
the demand within the FOI Department and to provide knowledge to the
public to include previous and combined FOI requests together with
relevant links and information.

 

Please visit this area of our website before submitting FOI requests as
information may already be available.

 

[10]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac...

Please note, if you require further information or wish to resubmit a
request please refer to the information found on the Commissioner’s
website regarding submission of effective requests:
[11]https://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/of...

 

Your right to complain

 

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.

 

Complaints should be submitted within 20 working days from the date of
this response and should be addressed to the Senior Information Officer at
the above address or by email to: [12]info.rights.freedom@essex. police.uk

 

We will conduct a review to investigate your complaint and endeavour to
reply within 20 working days.

 

Please explain which aspect of the reply you are not satisfied with, and
if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption it would
assist the review if you would outline why you believe the exemption does
not apply.

 

If you are still dissatisfied following our review, you have the right
under Section 50 of the Act to complain directly to the Information
Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information
Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints
procedures provided by Essex Police.

 

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF or via [13]https://ico.org.uk/

 

 

 

From: Info Rights Freedom Essex
Sent: 01 September 2020 10:14
To: Charles Brennan <[FOI #688079 email]>
Subject: RE: FOI 14766 Complaints of Child Abuse Investigations

 

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference. 

 

Please note that Essex Police are actively publishing information within
our publication scheme webpage, information supplied as part of this
request could be used within the scheme.  Please click on the following
link to search details of existing publications
[14]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac....

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act we are required to reply within 20
working days.  The Act does not specify a limit to the number of
information requests a public authority may receive or the number of
requests or questions an applicant may submit.  However, there are
exemptions in the Act that can apply and these include where the cost of
complying with the request would extend beyond the reasonable cost limit,
(currently 18 hours or £450), or if the request is otherwise manifestly
unreasonable in its scope or nature. 

 

Requests that ask a great many questions, or a number of detailed requests
submitted at the same time, may make it necessary for Essex Police to
refuse the requests wholly or in part.  The exemption at Section 14 may be
engaged if the burden on the authority is increased through multiple
requests on differing subjects.

 

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has responsibility for
providing oversight and guidance for the legislation and they have
produced advice for applicants on submitting effective requests.  Further
information can be found on the Commissioner’s website at
[15]www.ico.gov.uk, specific information relating to submitting a request
can be found at: 
[16]https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici...

 

While we process your request, please take the time to consider the ICO’s
advice and whether you feel it may be beneficial to amend or refine your
request.  Our team is happy to discuss your request with you and will be
able to provide advice as to what kind of information will be available
from Essex Police.

 

Although every effort will be made to ensure a response is provided within
statutory deadlines, due to current circumstances, delays may be
unavoidable.  We apologise for any inconvenience and will endeavour to
process your request as quickly as is practicable.

 

Kind regards

 

 

FOI Team | Information Management Department | Information Rights Section
| Essex Police

Telephone: 101 | Email: [17][Essex Police request email]

Address: Information Management Department, Information Rights Section,
Essex Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA  (for Sat Nav directions,
use CM2 6DN for HQ)

 

Information Management aspires to be: Helpful, Inclusive & Professional

 

Essex Police have developed a publication strategy, our aim is to reduce
the demand within the FOI Department and to provide knowledge to the
public to include previous and combined FOI requests together with
relevant links and information.

 

Please visit this area of our website before submitting FOI requests as
information may already be available.

 

[18]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac...

Please note, if you require further information or wish to resubmit a
request please refer to the information found on the Commissioner’s
website regarding submission of effective requests:
[19]https://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/of...

 

Your right to complain

 

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.

 

Complaints should be submitted within 20 working days from the date of
this response and should be addressed to the Senior Information Officer at
the above address or by email to: [20]info.rights.freedom@essex. police.uk

 

We will conduct a review to investigate your complaint and endeavour to
reply within 20 working days.

 

Please explain which aspect of the reply you are not satisfied with, and
if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption it would
assist the review if you would outline why you believe the exemption does
not apply.

 

If you are still dissatisfied following our review, you have the right
under Section 50 of the Act to complain directly to the Information
Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information
Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints
procedures provided by Essex Police.

 

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF or via [21]https://ico.org.uk/

 

 

 

dangos adrannau a ddyfynnir

Dear Info Rights Freedom Essex,

Thank you for your response. please advise on the format you hold data and provide a statistical snapshot to coincide with cost threshold.

Yours sincerely,

Charles Brennan

Info Rights Freedom Essex, Essex Police

1 Atodiad

Thank you for your e-mail.

 

Our Information Officer who dealt with this request, will review their
response and will update you on their findings in due course.

 

Kind regards,

 

FOI Team | Information Management Department | Information Rights Section
| Essex Police

Telephone: 101 | Email: [1][Essex Police request email]

Address: Information Management Department, Information Rights Section,
Essex Police HQ, PO Box 2, Chelmsford CM2 6DA  (for Sat Nav directions,
use CM2 6DN for HQ)

 

Information Management aspires to be: Helpful, Inclusive & Professional

 

Essex Police have developed a publication strategy, our aim is to reduce
the demand within the FOI department and to provide knowledge to the
public to include previous and combined FOI requests together with
relevant links and information.

Please visit this area of our website before submitting FOI requests as
information may already be available.

[2]https://www.essex.police.uk/foi-ai/af/ac...

 

Please note, if you require further information or wish to resubmit a
request please refer to the information found on the Commissioner’s
website regarding submission of effective requests: 
[3]https://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/of...

 

Your right to complain

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.

 

Complaints should be submitted within 20 working days from the date of
this response and should be addressed to the Senior Information Officer at
the above address or by email to:  [4][Essex Police request email]

 

We will conduct a review to investigate your complaint and endeavour to
reply within 20 working days.

 

Please explain which aspect of the reply you are not satisfied with, and
if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption it would
assist the review if you would outline why you believe the exemption does
not apply.      

 

If you are still dissatisfied following our review, you have the right
under Section 50 of the Act to complain directly to the Information
Commissioner.  Before considering your complaint, the Information
Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints
procedures provided by Essex Police.

 

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:  Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF or via [5]https://ico.org.uk/.

 

dangos adrannau a ddyfynnir