TV presenter accuses police officer of sexual misconduct
Adedeji, who presents episodes of investigative TV show Untold, told Channel 4 News she raised an historical allegation of sexual misconduct in 2023 against a then serving police officer who was more than 15 years her senior, whom she met while he was on duty in east London.
The 31-year-old alleges that the officer initiated a sexual relationship while working and used a false identity throughout their years-long relationship; an identity that concealed his existing family while he served in the Metropolitan Police before he transferred to City of London Police.
The officer was arrested in February 2024 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, Channel 4 News said.
Adedeji, who also hosts the Courtroom Drama podcast, claims that when a detective was assigned to investigate her complaint, he made inappropriate comments to her throughout the process, including commenting on her appearance and joking about how the case brought them together.
Speaking to Channel 4 News, Adedeji said of the police misconduct process: 'These experiences have left me completely disillusioned.
'How can women feel safe coming forward when they're retraumatised by the very system that's meant to protect them?'
She also said City of London Police told her last year her case had been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) but was later told by the CPS that they had not received the file.
London Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman has since written to City of London Police Commissioner Pete O'Doherty to raise serious concerns about the investigation, Channel 4 News said.
Ms Waxman wrote: 'It's really important that those actually looking into the behaviour have not been accused themselves and have not been subject to allegations.'
Policing Minister Diana Johnson told Channel 4 News: 'I can't comment on the individual case but it concerns me greatly that we have this culture in policing.
'There is a huge job of work for the police to do to restore that public confidence, particularly in women and girls…And we know from some of the appalling cases that have happened in policing in recent years, trust and confidence in women and girls has reduced down and that has to be put right by the police.
'And I know there's a lot of work.'
A Met spokesman said: 'While the vast majority of our officers work every day with professionalism and integrity to keep London safe, it is right they are asked to uphold the highest of standards and are held to account when they fail to do so.
'The Government's new vetting regulations close a gap in the law and allow us to ensure only officers who maintain a suitable standard of clearance throughout their career can police the streets of London.
'This is fundamental to public trust and confidence and in the last 18 months around 100 officers have been sacked or resigned after having their vetting removed.
'We are working extremely hard to build an environment and culture where the public and colleagues feel empowered to report concerns and know that those concerns will be addressed and dealt with effectively.'
In a statement to Channel 4 News, City of London Police said: 'Last year a criminal investigation began following the arrest of an officer for misconduct in a public office.
'A separate complaint against the same officer was also investigated under Police Conduct Regulations, resulting in him being found guilty of gross misconduct.
'He is no longer a serving officer.
'We cannot disclose details of the criminal investigation that may prejudice the case but accept the victim's complaints and fully recognise the importance of trust and confidence in how our investigations are carried out.
'We referred all of the victims' concerns to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for consideration, and after receiving their advice it should continue to be investigated locally, we have listened to the concerns raised and passed the complaint to a separate force (British Transport Police) for independent review.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Woman arrested on suspicion of assaulting emergency worker and security guard
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a security guard and an emergency worker, Metropolitan Police said. The 22-year-old was detained on Wednesday and was also arrested on suspicion of affray, possession of an offensive weapon, and possession of Class B drugs. A police statement said officers were investigating a 'complex' set of circumstances, including a separate incident in which a man entered a home in the Canary Wharf area of London after allegedly being followed by a group of men in the street. However, police said he had not been charged 'as our initial investigation has not identified any offences'. Footage began circulating on social media of a man accused of entering a house after being told 'to go back to the hotel'. A protest was taking place outside a nearby hotel housing asylum seekers. A statement from the Met said: 'We are aware of videos circulating online relating to an incident that officers were called to at 18:07hrs on Wednesday, 13 August at Marsh Wall, E14. 'We understand a man entered a property through an open door, having been followed by a group of men in the street. 'The man has not been arrested at this time as our initial investigation has not identified any offences – we understand this is distressing for the occupants. 'In a separate incident following this, a 22-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of common assault against a security guard, possession of an offensive weapon, affray, possession of Class B drugs and assault on an emergency worker. 'A section 35 dispersal order was put in place in the vicinity of the area and a 28-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman were arrested for breaching the order. 'This is a complex set of events and we are working hard to investigate and understand what happened, reviewing officers' body-worn video and any other video footage.' Another video posted on TikTok shows a group of onlookers questioning the police about why the man had not been arrested.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- The Independent
Mohamed al-Fayed: Almost 150 people report crimes to investigation, Met Police say
The Metropolitan Police have almost 150 people have come forward to report a crime as part of their investigation into former Harrods boss Mohamed al-Fayed. The total of 146 reports were revealed as part of a video update sent to alleged victims earlier this week. It comes a month after Scotland Yard apologised to alleged victims for the distress they have suffered. In a letter leaked to the BBC, the officer leading the investigation said she was "acutely aware the case is especially distressing to all those who have suffered". "Not least due to the fact that the main suspect will now never directly face justice for his crimes and, for this, I am truly sorry," Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Craggs wrote. Al-Fayed died in 2023 aged 94. The Met is currently conducting an investigation into how it handled historical allegations of offending by the tycoon. It will also look into any potential facilitators and enablers, and whether any misconduct or corruption occurred. A spokesperson for the force said: "The live investigation into those who could have facilitated or enabled Mohamed al-Fayed's offending continues. "The way the Met works has moved on immeasurably, and our teams have transformed the way we investigate rape and sexual offences. "We're working with partners across the criminal justice system to ensure that victim-survivors are at the heart of our response, with a greater focus on suspects and their offending. "We continue to support all victims and we urge anyone with information, whether they were directly affected by Mohamed al-Fayed's actions, or aware of others who may have been involved or committed offences, to come forward. "We cannot comment further at this time, but will provide an update as soon as we are able to and where this won't jeopardise criminal or other proceedings." The force is expected to provide more written or video updates to victims over the coming months. In November, it said detectives were investigating more than five people who may have facilitated the former Harrods boss in his alleged sexual abuse of dozens of women and girls. They are looking at individuals surrounding the businessman who could have enabled him to commit crimes which are claimed to have spanned decades between 1977 and 2014. The force is also facing allegations of police corruption, with The Guardian newspaper reporting that officers were accused of taking bribes to help him persecute staff and avoid accusations of abuse. The Met said it has transformed the way it investigates rape and serious sexual offences and is doing more to put victim-survivors at the heart of its response to these crimes. More than 100 survivors of alleged sexual abuse by Al-Fayed have entered Harrods' redress scheme, the department store said last month.
The Independent
14 hours ago
- The Independent
High-speed driver busted by police after dangerous chase through London
A high-speed police pursuit through London has been captured on camera after a car was spotted travelling at double the speed limit and the wrong side of a carriageway. The Metropolitan Police has released footage of the police chase which shows officers following the vehicle through the streets of London as the car travels at dangerous speeds on the wrong side of various roads. The police manage to bring the car to a stop by driving up against the vehicle in a tactical move. The force confirmed a driver had been arrested and drugs, cash and phones were also seized. A force spokesman said: "Decisive police action is helping to remove drugs and dangerous drivers from London's streets."
