Two PSNI officers dismissed after sexually assaulting colleagues

Two Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers have been sacked over sexual misconduct toward colleagues.

The officers were dismissed for "abhorrent and completely dismissive" behaviour following special case hearings conducted by the Chief Constable Jon Boutcher.

One of the male officers had previously been convicted of two counts of sexual assault against a female colleague while they were off duty.

A second officer, in a separate case, was found to have made sexual comments at a female officer during a work night out and groped her. He was found guilty of sexual assault in a criminal court in relation to the incident.

Boutcher previously mentioned the cases at a recent meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

There he outlined his commitment to "having only the highest standards of professional behaviour".

Everyone employed by the PSNI must understand the importance of professional standards and a respectful workplace culture, he added.

The PSNI head of professional standards branch, Ch Supt Stephen Murray provided an update on Wednesday.

"These dismissals demonstrate that sexual misconduct, misogyny and sexist behaviour have no place in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and reflect our zero-tolerance approach to this type of behaviour," he said.

"We recognise the significant harm that sexual misconduct, harassment, misogynistic and sexist behaviour can cause to victims, individuals, teams and public confidence."

The officers were dismissed on 28 May.