Devon and Cornwall Police Pay Nine Women Compensation
Why This Settlement Matters Across Devon and Cornwall
Living in the South West, we are used to hearing about our police force through seasonal crime warnings or road safety appeals. This week’s news is different. Nine women have received compensation after claiming Devon and Cornwall Police failed to properly investigate allegations of domestic abuse, sexual violence and coercive control made against serving and former officers. The force covers a huge stretch of ground, from the clifftops around Newquay and the busy streets of Plymouth to the quiet farmland of west Devon and the market towns of mid Cornwall. Few of us will not have some connection to the force, whether through a neighbour, a relative or a friend who works in the service. That is why trust matters so much here. Newquay in particular swells every summer, when visitors arrive to go to Newquay for the surf and nightlife. Those visitors and the locals who serve them deserve to know that reports of abuse will be taken seriously wherever they happen. The settlement was agreed out of court, and the force has not admitted legal liability, so it is important to be clear about what is and is not established. What it does show is that a legal claim was considered serious enough to be resolved without a trial.
The Women, the Campaigners and the Force
The women at the centre of this story are identified only by pseudonyms, and their accounts are deeply personal. One described being told by officers that her word would count for less because her former husband wore the uniform. Another, who had herself worked for the force, said she felt colleagues had closed ranks around the man she accused. Their claims include being pushed in front of a car while pregnant, threats made with a knife, and an assault she says was dismissed when she asked for a crime number. These are not abstract issues for the people involved. They affect their housing, their jobs, their mental health and their willingness to ask anyone for help again. The Centre for Women’s Justice brought the case, writing to the force in February 2024 to set out its intention to take legal action. The campaign builds on a police super-complaint lodged in 2020 with the Independent Office for Police Conduct, HMICFRS and the College of Policing, submitted alongside the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. In March 2026, the chief constable met the women and apologised for how the force had handled their reports. One of the women said she believed the apology was sincere. The force says it continues to invest in protecting women and girls from violence. For its officers and staff, the harder task is rebuilding public confidence that complaints against colleagues will be investigated without fear or favour.
What Residents Should Know and What to Watch Next
If you have been affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence or a police response that left you unheard, you do not have to face it alone. Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger. For non-urgent matters, Devon and Cornwall Police can be contacted on 101, and you are entitled to ask for a crime reference number, which you can request in writing if needed. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, is free to call on 0808 2000 247 and is available around the clock. BBC Action Line also signposts support for anyone affected by the issues in this story. If you believe a report was handled badly, you can make a formal complaint to the force, and you can ask the Independent Office for Police Conduct to look at it. Readers in Newquay and across Cornwall can also seek help through their GP, their local council’s housing team or specialist charities working in the area. As for what comes next, watch whether the force publishes any review of how officers accused of abuse are vetted, supervised and promoted, since the women say some of those men remain in post. Also watch for any follow-up from the IOPC or HMICFRS on the themes raised in the super-complaint. Local councillors and the Police and Crime Commissioner are likely to be asked how standards will be monitored. We will keep following it closely on this site.
Source: Nine women paid compensation over police abuse claims
