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The IOPC received a voluntary referral from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) on 20 December 2019 of complaints made about public comments made by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, regarding Operation Midland. The referral also alleged the Commissioner failed to take action to correct a statement made to the media by an Operation Midland detective.

After we requested and received further information in January 2020 and following a thorough assessment of the information provided, we have determined that it is not necessary to investigate these complaints.

We considered three allegations made in the complaint:

Firstly, we do not consider the allegation that the Commissioner deliberately misled the public regarding her role in Operation Midland requires investigation. The complaint detailed comments given to a newspaper on 30 August 2019 and an interview given to a radio station on 17 September 2019. We found the comment that she was not Metropolitan Police Commissioner during Operation Midland to be accurate. The comment provided to a radio station that she had been Assistant Commissioner (AC) for a brief period, from November 2014 to December 2014, at the outset of Operation Midland was also accurate.

Secondly, there is no material to support the allegation that the Commissioner deliberately misled the public as to MPS policy when she made comments during a radio station interview that a Detective Superintendent (DSupt)had been “pressed, pressed, pressed” by the media prior to saying that allegations made by Carl Beech were ‘credible and true’.

The DSupt has acknowledged that, with hindsight, he might have used different language. The MPS Commissioner at the time attempted to correct and clarify the wording used.  It is also clear that there was an underlying policy position at the time that victims alleging historical sexual abuse should be ‘believed.’ Sir Richard Henriques considered the origins and suitability of this policy in detail in his review of Operation Midland. 

Finally, there is no indication that the Commissioner may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner which would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings in relation to the third allegation in the complaint that the Commissioner failed to take action in 2014, while the relevant Assistant Commissioner, to both correct the use of the words ‘credible and true’ and to stop Operation Midland progressing on a false premise.

The Commissioner has acknowledged publicly that she could or should have raised an issue with the use of the words ‘credible and true’ at the time. We do not consider that an investigation now would achieve anything more than the Commissioner’s already frank admission. Further to this we have seen nothing to suggest that the Commissioner knew the investigation had been started on a false premise at that time, as investigations into Carl Beech’s allegations had only just begun.

It is important to acknowledge that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has made significant changes as a result of the review of Operation Midland by Sir Richard Henriques and of recommendations made as a result of our own investigation into how the force dealt with search warrants (Operation Kentia).

The MPS has apologised to Mr Proctor regarding his treatment. This clearly was and still is a very difficult situation that has impacted Mr Proctor’s life significantly.  Our assessment of the allegations and information should not detract from that fact.