A former senior police officer accused of describing rape allegations as “regretful sex” will not face disciplinary proceedings, a watchdog has ruled.
Ex-Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Sir Stephen House was accused of making the comment by a Home Officer adviser, but strongly denied the claim and said he must have been misheard.
Professor Betsy Stanko alleged he had described the bulk of rape allegations as regretful sex during a meeting in January 2022.
Ms Stanko and another academic were presenting research findings to four senior Met officers and a force employee as part of Operation Soteria, a Government project to improve the police response to rape and other sexual offences.
No written minutes were made of the meeting and the academic only made the claims more than a year later during a television interview.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog said it had also looked at allegations that Sir Stephen had said rape and serious sexual assault were not equivalent to serious violent crime, and used the term “bog of domestics” during a discussion about the overlap between domestic abuse and sexual crimes.
It said one of the seven people at the meeting had taken notes and no reference was made to any of the comments claimed to have been made.
No-one else at the meeting – described as “spiky” and “hard-hitting” – recalled Sir Stephen making the alleged comments comparing serious sexual and violent crimes, or the bog of domestics remark.
He accepted he may have used the phrase regretful sex but in a different context, when questioning the researchers’ findings.
The IOPC said there was no indication he had breached standards of professional behaviour.
IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “We investigated the allegations thoroughly but faced difficulties as, given the delay in the allegations being raised, we were reliant on those present at the meeting trying to recall what had been said at a meeting that took place more than a year before we spoke to them. There were also no minutes or detailed notes made by anyone who attended.
“Both Professor 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.
Former @metpoliceuk Deputy Commissioner Sir Stephen House won't face disciplinary proceedings following our investigation into his conduct at a meeting about the force's investigations into rape and other serious sexual offences.
Read more here:▶️ https://t.co/5TWU7dYLxe pic.twitter.com/6MEKYfCNYO
— Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) (@policeconduct) March 18, 2024
“We also considered Sir Stephen’s career history, previous actions and public remarks about combating violence against women and girls and sexual offences, which supported his assertion that the alleged comments did not reflect his stance on the issue.”
Sir Stephen said the watchdog’s findings underlined his commitment to combating violence against women and girls.
“Just over 12 months ago I was the subject of very serious allegations relating to my alleged behaviour during a meeting on Operation Soteria. I strenuously denied the allegations from the start of the investigation and throughout the year-long investigation,” he said.
“I attended the meeting in January 2022 in order to understand the results of the report in relation to rape and serious sexual offences, which I and the MPS took seriously. I recognised, alongside the MPS, the need for change in the nationwide rape and serious sexual offences detection rates.
“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 MPS 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.
“I want to thank my family and the many friends and colleagues who have supported me. I am pleased that my record of dedicated commitment to public service of over 40 years has been upheld.
“Operation Soteria will continue to have my full support as it continues its vital work.”