The number of Metropolitan Police officers facing allegations of domestic abuse and sexual assault has reached record levels, according to recent figures. In the past year alone, 372 complaints of domestic abuse were reported against officers and staff in the Met, more than five times the total recorded a decade ago.

A significant proportion of these complaints now involve senior officers, with 61 allegations made against those holding the rank of sergeant or above in the last year. Overall, 78 officers were arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse, and 11 were formally charged.

The Met has faced intense scrutiny over its handling of officer misconduct following high-profile cases, including the serial rape committed by former firearms officer David Carrick and the murder of Sarah Everard by former officer Wayne Couzens. These incidents have prompted the force to reevaluate its systems for protecting the public and members of its own workforce.

One such case highlighting internal challenges involves Sergeant Hannah Mantle. Mantle, a 44-year-old officer recognized this week with a long service and good conduct medal after more than 20 years with the force, detailed her harrowing experience with her former husband, PC Mark Thornley Thomas, a former firearms officer based at Heathrow. Thomas, who died last year due to an alcohol-related illness, had a history of stalking, harassment, and threats against Mantle. He had once worked alongside Carrick in a response unit.

Mantle recounted how Thomas hacked into her personal email to monitor her whereabouts and would appear unannounced at her home, prompting repeated safety concerns for her and their children. On one occasion in 2018, officers responding to a report found Thomas intoxicated and suicidal, holding a bag containing Mantle’s stolen underwear. Despite these incidents, Mantle said the Met focused largely on safeguarding Thomas, given his mental health struggles, rather than ensuring her protection.

In June 2021, Thomas forced entry into Mantle’s property while intoxicated, an episode that terrified their children. His subsequent conviction led to a fast-tracked misconduct hearing, resulting in his departure from the force later that year. A disciplinary panel ruled he would have been dismissed had he remained.

Detective Superintendent Hayley Macro, from the Met’s professional standards unit, acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and described ongoing reforms. “Over the last four years we have transformed our approach to tackling police perpetrated abuse,” Macro stated. She noted that while progress has been made, including a threefold increase in wrongdoing reports from 2021 to 2024, further work is still needed to improve workforce culture and increase confidence in the reporting process.