Jacqui Durkin, the newly appointed Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, has said she is "deeply concerned" that 36% of her office's most serious investigations involve police officers accused of abusing their position for sexual purposes. Durkin, who began her seven-year term in June 2026, told NI that tackling these cases is among her top priorities, and confirmed that one ongoing investigation concerns a former officer arrested last year on suspicion of rape and dozens of other alleged offences.
Durkin's appointment followed her selection as successor to Marie Anderson, bringing extensive leadership experience to a role that oversees complaints against the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Her office previously flagged the issue of abuse of position for sexual purposes, known as APSP, in a report published last year.
How serious is the scale of the problem?
According to a report from Irish broadcaster RTÉ, the Police Ombudsman's office said in March 2026 that predatory behaviour by male officers accounted for roughly 30% of its gravest cases, based on nine cases out of 30 Category A investigations recorded in 2024. A separate accountability report from the Northern Ireland Policing Board found that the ombudsman's analysis covered 42 APSP cases spanning January 2018 to December 2024, with further cases received during 2025. That same report described APSP as "one of the most serious breaches of trust" in policing, warning that it damages public confidence and undermines the legitimacy of the force.
Durkin did not offer a definitive explanation for the apparent rise in such cases.
"Thirty-six percent of our most serious investigations are those involving abuse of position for sexual purposes and that's deeply concerning," Durkin said.
"It's very difficult to comment on why it's increasing."
"The chief constable [Jon Boutcher] has said very publicly it is a serious form of corruption."
What has happened to officers implicated so far?
Some cases have already resulted in disciplinary or legal consequences. Earlier this year, two PSNI officers were dismissed on 28 May 2026 following special misconduct hearings, with one having prior convictions for sexual assault and the other found guilty of sexual assault in court; Chief Constable Jon Boutcher reaffirmed the force's stance against such conduct at the time. More broadly, the Police Ombudsman's office has said that six police officers were dismissed or convicted as a result of its investigations into abuse of position between 2018 and 2024, according to the RTÉ report.
A further RTÉ account from March 2026 said the office was at that time examining alleged predatory behaviour involving 39 victims, 20 serving officers and two former officers. Separately, a report from UTV in March 2026 detailed the case of a former officer accused of rape involving multiple victims, which appears consistent with the case Durkin referenced in her interview.
What pressures is the ombudsman's office under?
Durkin succeeds Marie Anderson, whose final two years in the role were overshadowed by a police investigation into potential misconduct in office; Anderson was not charged with any offence. Durkin said the office had continued its work despite those difficulties.
"The work of the office has gone on despite the challenges over the last couple of years," Durkin stated.
"But I am mindful that it is incumbent on me to build more public confidence and more police confidence in the office."
"That is what I am planning to do."
The office employs more than 100 staff and operates on an annual budget of about £12m. Durkin said she has informed the Department of Justice of the pressures facing the office, adding that Troubles-era legacy cases currently present an "acute financial challenge". A 2025 inspection by the Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland found that the office had more than 20 ongoing or awaiting APSP cases at the time, underlining the scale of the workload building up even before this year's figures emerged.
Key Facts
- APSP cases make up 36% of the ombudsman's most serious investigations, Durkin said.
- One investigation involves a former officer arrested on suspicion of rape and other alleged offences.
- RTÉ reported the office examined 42 APSP cases from 2018–2024, with predatory behaviour tied to roughly 30% of gravest cases in 2024 alone.
- Six officers were dismissed or convicted following APSP investigations between 2018 and 2024, per the RTÉ report.
- The ombudsman's office has more than 100 staff and an annual budget of about £12m.
