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Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “These failures by Wiltshire Police to carry out its duty – to the fullest - and to protect those at risk of domestic or sexual violence is truly shocking. There are no words which can convey how appalled I am.
“While I commend Wiltshire’s Chief Constable for her open and honest approach to informing our communities of this, and her subsequent apology, I am horrified at the prospect there may be more victims of domestic or sexual assault who could have been safeguarded by the Force beforehand.
“My primary concern is for any victims – or potential victims. The Chief Constable and I both agree the need to offer immediate advice, support and protection, as necessary, is of utmost importance. Anyone who thinks they may be affected should follow the guidelines from Force and contact them immediately, especially if they feel they are in immediate danger.
“At its very simplest, this is a tragic consequence of an organisation which, for some time before our current Chief Constable, was not performing adequately across many areas. This has resulted in its latest PEEL inspection report, and the current Engage process the Force finds itself in.
“While I will not comment on the details of this independent referral by the IOPC, I would like to make it very, very, clear that I expect this investigation to uncover all those responsible for this identified organisational failure – across management and other staff who will have held oversight and supervisory roles during the timeframe – to be held accountable for their actions, or lack of.”
Published Thursday 26 October 2023
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