Police officer who featured in BBC rape documentary accused of abusing seven ex-partners
Credit: BBC
A former Metropolitan Police detective who featured in a BBC documentary about a rape investigation has been accused of abusing seven of his former partners.
David Fall, an ex-detective constable, is facing a police misconduct panel over the alleged abuse and harassment of the women between 2014 and 2020.
He was previously investigated by Hampshire Constabulary but no charges were brought.
The misconduct hearing comes despite his resignation in October. Those who have quit a force can still be added to a police barred list if they are found to have committed an offence.
A listing on the Met's website said: 'Former DC David Fall will answer allegations that his conduct amounted to breaches of the standards of professional behaviour, in respect of discreditable conduct.
'It is alleged that between 2014 and 2020, whilst a serving member of the Metropolitan Police Service, former DC Fall engaged in domestic abuse and/or harassment towards seven of his former partners.'
He is also alleged to have shown a partner a 'confidential document' related to his work 'without any proper policing purpose'.
The listing added: 'The matter and conduct set out above amount to gross misconduct, namely a breach of the standards of professional behaviour that, if proved, are so serious as to justify dismissal.'
The hearing is scheduled to begin on Feb 3 and is expected to last six days.
Mr Fall had served in the Met's Sapphire Unit, which investigates rapes and serious sexual offences.
His handling of information in a particularly disturbing case was featured in a BBC programme called The Met: Policing London, which was broadcast in May 2017.
The documentary covered the case of Harjit Singh, who was jailed for six years for attempting to rape a 35-year-old woman with Down's Syndrome.
The victim, called Jolene, waived her right to anonymity to highlight how sensitively the investigation had been handled because of her learning disabilities. Singh was arrested after he fell asleep in her bed and she alerted neighbours.
In the documentary, Mr Fall is seen talking with the woman after Singh has been jailed, as he reassures her she is safe.
'That's what my job is,' he tells her, 'to make sure we lock up the bad people so that people like you – the good people – can sleep safe and sound in their own houses.
'That's the job that we do – we look after people.'
A Met Police spokesman confirmed to the Daily Mail that Mr Fall had appeared in the documentary and added: 'He resigned in October 2024 and was previously attached to Specialist Crime South.'
A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: 'We conducted a criminal investigation into the matters laid out in the misconduct notice, and a man was arrested in connection with these.
'A file was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 2022, which made the decision that no further action would be taken.
'The details were then passed to the Metropolitan Police Service for their conduct investigation.'
A CPS spokesman said: 'We reviewed this case carefully, and after considering all the material passed to us by the police, we concluded there was not enough evidence for us to charge the suspect.'
The BBC was contacted for comment.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kenya's deputy police chief steps aside amid uproar over blogger's death
Kenya's deputy police chief Eliud Lagat has stepped aside pending the outcome of investigations into the death in detention of blogger Albert Ojwang. Mr Lagat had been under pressure to resign from the opposition and human rights activists as Mr Ojwang was arrested after he filed a complaint, accusing the blogger of defaming him on social media. Police initially said that Mr Ojwang died of self-inflicted wounds, but were forced to retract the statement after an autopsy found that he was likely to have died from assault wounds. Mr Lagat denied any wrongdoing, but said in a statement that he was stepping aside in the "good and conscious thought" of his responsibilities as deputy police chief. "I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident," Mr Lagat said. "I offer immense condolences to the family of Mr Albert Ojwang for their great loss," he added. Until the investigation is concluded, Mr Lagat will have no access to his office, and his duties will be performed by his deputy. This comes amid intensifying pressure, with more demonstrations planned this week by activists demanding a transparent investigation into the 31-year-old blogger's death. Mr Ojwang was arrested in his village of Kakoth, near the western town of Homa Bay, on 7 June. He was then driven to the main police station in Nairobi, and was reported to have died a few days later. In an initial statement, police said Mr Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and was rushed to a city hospital, where he succumbed to head injuries allegedly sustained from banging his head against the wall. But an autopsy report and an investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), ruled out the possibility that Mr Ojwang might have killed himself. While investigations continue, the head of the police station has been detained, along with another officer and a technician accused of disabling the station's CCTV. Police chief Douglas Kanja has apologised for the initial police claim that the blogger died of self-inflicted wounds, saying it was based on "misinformation" from his juniors. BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters Batons, tear gas, live fire - Kenyans face police brutality Why Kenya's president has so many nicknames Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kenya's deputy police chief steps aside amid uproar over blogger's death
Kenya's deputy police chief Eliud Lagat has stepped aside pending the outcome of investigations into the death in detention of blogger Albert Ojwang. Mr Lagat had been under pressure to resign from the opposition and human rights activists as Mr Ojwang was arrested after he filed a complaint, accusing the blogger of defaming him on social media. Police initially said that Mr Ojwang died of self-inflicted wounds, but were forced to retract the statement after an autopsy found that he was likely to have died from assault wounds. Mr Lagat denied any wrongdoing, but said in a statement that he was stepping aside in the "good and conscious thought" of his responsibilities as deputy police chief. "I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident," Mr Lagat said. "I offer immense condolences to the family of Mr Albert Ojwang for their great loss," he added. Until the investigation is concluded, Mr Lagat will have no access to his office, and his duties will be performed by his deputy. This comes amid intensifying pressure, with more demonstrations planned this week by activists demanding a transparent investigation into the 31-year-old blogger's death. Mr Ojwang was arrested in his village of Kakoth, near the western town of Homa Bay, on 7 June. He was then driven to the main police station in Nairobi, and was reported to have died a few days later. In an initial statement, police said Mr Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and was rushed to a city hospital, where he succumbed to head injuries allegedly sustained from banging his head against the wall. But an autopsy report and an investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), ruled out the possibility that Mr Ojwang might have killed himself. While investigations continue, the head of the police station has been detained, along with another officer and a technician accused of disabling the station's CCTV. Police chief Douglas Kanja has apologised for the initial police claim that the blogger died of self-inflicted wounds, saying it was based on "misinformation" from his juniors. BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters Batons, tear gas, live fire - Kenyans face police brutality Why Kenya's president has so many nicknames Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
UPI
a day ago
- UPI
Britain agrees to open child sexual grooming investigation
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a joint press conference with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC, in February. File photo by Chris Kleponis/UPI | License Photo June 15 (UPI) -- British officials said Sunday that they have never dismissed reports of child grooming gangs in the country, and vowed to release the results of an investigation Monday. "These are the most important people in the discussions," chancellor Rachel Reeves said on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been criticized for ignoring reports about grooming gangs, and initially appeared to resist an independent investigation, but did agree to open an inquiry after months of pressure from conservatives. The results of a previous report are to be released Monday, and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is scheduled to address the findings with Parliament. When promoted, Reeves said Sunday that Starmer has long been focused on the grooming gang activity, and she shifted the blame to the Conservative party that held office prior to Starmer's election, intimating that the previous administration had not taken action to address the issue, either. "Our prime minister has always been really focused on the victims, and not grandstanding but actually doing the practical things to ensure something like this never happens again," she said Sunday. Maggie Oliver, a former detective with the Greater Manchester Police who resigned over the way the said grooming cases were handled in Rochdale, said both parties have been "dragged kicking and screaming to this point" to address grooming gang allegations. "For me, I can only look at them with contempt, because I see on the ground the suffering their neglect has caused," she said on the Sunday program. A prior report seven years in the making conclude that child sexual abuse was "epidemic" across the nation, and made 20 recommendations in 2022. Advocates said many of the victims have been waiting years for justice.
