Police Officer Convicted of Rape and Abuse
A police officer has been found guilty of raping two women and subjecting a third to a prolonged campaign of abuse.
Cameron Ross committed the assaults in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in 2012 and 2014, and later abused another woman in Inverness between 2019 and 2022.
Ross, aged 39, was suspended from Police Scotland in January 2024 after the allegations were made public.
He denied all charges but was convicted by a jury during a trial held at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Police Scotland announced that following the conclusion of the criminal proceedings, its professional standards department will conduct an investigation into gross misconduct.
Judge Alison Stirling refused bail and remanded Ross in custody.
Details of the Offences
During the trial, evidence revealed that Ross raped the first woman after meeting her at a party on Lewis between August and October 2012.
The woman described how Ross
"pinned her down to a bed"before committing the assault, which left her deeply traumatised.
A second woman testified that in June 2014, Ross sat on her, restrained her, and raped her.
Between October 2019 and June 2022 in Inverness, Ross subjected a third woman to a sustained pattern of abusive behaviour.
The court heard that Ross threatened to kill this woman, repeatedly pushed and pulled her, threw her to the ground, and brandished a knife.
Additionally, Ross was convicted of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner on 5 June 2022 at an Inverness address, where he shouted, swore, and acted aggressively.
On the same date, he attempted to pervert the course of justice by trying to contact a woman who was providing a witness statement to an officer.
Following his conviction, Ross was placed on the sex offenders register and is scheduled to return to the High Court in Edinburgh for sentencing on 2 July.
Police Scotland Response
Chief Superintendent Helen Harrison condemned Ross's conduct, stating it
"went against everything Police Scotland stands for".
She added:
"We understand how difficult it can be to report these kinds of offences, particularly when the perpetrator is a police officer. We want the public to be reassured that all reports are thoroughly investigated, no matter when the offending took place or who is involved."
"All officers are bound by our standards of professional behaviour, which apply on and off duty."
"Any instance where an officer fails to uphold our standards will be investigated and appropriate action taken."
