Investigation after former Police Scotland chief said 'bulk' of rape complaints were 'regretful sex'

The former chief constable of Police Scotland has been referred to a police watchdog after allegedly saying the “bulk” of rape complaints were “regretful sex”.

Sir Stephen House is being investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over the alleged remark, which he strongly denies making.

Sir Stephen, who was born in Glasgow, is said to have made the comments to a Home Office adviser in January 2022.

The accusation was made on Channel 4 News by Professor Betsy Stanko, the Home Office adviser heading “Operation Soteria Bluestone” which was set up to examine the way police forces respond to rape cases.

The independent review’s latest report in December found that some officers “displayed a culture of disbelieving victims”.

Sir Stephen served as the acting commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in 2022 following the resignation of Dame Cressida Dick. Before that, he served as the first chief constable of Police Scotland between 2012 and 2015.

He is said to have made the comments, which he described as “abhorrent”, at a Scotland Yard meeting while deputy commissioner for the Met.

Stanko said: “It felt as if he [Sir Stephen] was trying to minimise what the problem was, not taking it seriously.

“He used terms to describe – or a term to describe – what he thought the bulk of the rape complaints were, which was the term ‘regretful sex’.”

Explaining what she thought the term meant, Stanko said: “The only way I understand the term ‘regretful sex’ – and it was said by officers elsewhere, in the other forces that we visited and researched – it is something about the victim.

“Again, the victim is mistaken. That that faultline of forcible sex, which is rape, was not crossed because it must have been confusion. The problem was about confusion, not about the facts or the evidence that could have been collected if one was trying to investigate a rape.”

The deputy commissioner of the Met Police condemned the alleged comments.

Dame Lynne Owens said: “Rape is a horrific offence that has a devastating and lasting impact.

“The comments included in the Operation Soteria Bluestone report are wholly unacceptable.

“We recognise that they risk further undermining the confidence of victims to come forward and that is deeply regrettable.

“Having been made aware of an allegation that the comments were made by a senior Metropolitan Police officer, we have referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”

In a statement, Sir Stephen said: “I have dedicated over four decades of public service to protecting the public from predatory offenders.

“These are not words I have ever used in relation to rape or sexual assault and the reason I am so certain that I did not say this is because I simply do not believe it; I find the phrase abhorrent.

“I find this characterisation of me to be deeply upsetting, and colleagues who know me know how untrue it is.”