Policeman raped colleague during overseas trip, job tribunal told

The officer, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, reported she was the victim of an assault while on an overseas trip organised by a group of officers in 2010.

The woman has a recognised history of depression and is claiming disability discrimination against West Yorkshire Police following her dismissal in May last year for too many absences from work.

The former officer is claiming the force failed to make reasonable adjustments to her schedule to cater for her mental health problems which were exacerbated by the alleged rape.

The officer had previously suffered a personal tragedy in 2005 which had affected her attendance at work but it was not until August 2010 that her condition was accepted as a disability.

Earlier in the year, the force began instituting a series of action plans and procedures aimed at improving the officer’s attendance. But in late 2010, the woman was allegedly raped which upset a proposed new work schedule.

The alleged attack left her “numb with shock”. She added: “I had been a rape-trained officer for some time but now the boot was on the other foot, I froze.”

She subsequently delayed reporting it until January 2011. The alleged attacker was not suspended and was instead moved to another police station only a few miles from where they worked.

Giving evidence yesterday, the woman said her mental health “took a nose dive” when she was told in June 2011 that no action would be taken following an investigation.

The woman said the force should have done more to move her or her alleged assailant much further away. “They are a massive force, thousands of people working for them – to move one person away for something like that is not insurmountable,” she said.

The tribunal continues.