On 3 May 2024, Dean Dempster, a police constable with Greater Manchester Police (GMP), was dismissed from his position after admitting sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl while on duty.  

The offence which occurred in Oldham whilst the officer was responding to an incident on 29 December 2023, was reported later that day.  The officer was arrested when he returned to duty the following day and was later charged. He pleaded guilty to the offences at a hearing in February 2024. The officer was charged with one count of sexual assault and a second count of misconduct in public office, that was ordered by the court to lie on the file.

On 2 May 2024 at an accelerated misconduct hearing, Dempster was sacked without notice and added to the College of Policing barred list . GMP have indicated that they will be writing to the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, who is also the Police and Crime Commissioner for the area, to appeal for Dempster to lose his right to a police pension. 

Chief Constable Stephen Watson stated that Dempster had committed the "most egregious breach of trust " and the case was "among the most distressing ever presented to me ".  Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, head of Professional Standards Directorate at the force said: “Dean Dempster is not a police officer, he’s a child sex offender who has no right to be in police uniform or in a position to serve the public. We have no time for people like Dempster who should not be in GMP and does not represent us .”

Dempster is due to be sentenced in June.

It’s commendable that swift action has been taken by the police in this instance, however this has not always been the case. At Switalskis we have regrettably come across several instances of this sort of abuse or malpractice in forces across the country.

The Sarah Everard case, and others, illustrate that the position of trust and authority held by police can present opportunities for corrupt officers to perpetrate serious crimes against vulnerable children and adults.  

The culture within the police towards crimes committed by fellow officers has been identified as a factor which can prevent proper investigation or stop crimes coming to light at all. It is imperative that these steps forward in bringing officers to account are maintained, and that all police forces take an equally robust stance. Officers must be aware that there will be serious consequences for them personally if they commit these heinous crimes.  Child protection must be a top priority.

If you have been the victim of sexual abuse by a police officer or any other professional and would like to have a confidential chat, then please call us on 01924 882000 or email sally.smith@switalskis.com