The conduct of a detective who said “all men” were rapists and should be given a curfew to stop sex attacks has been found to be gross misconduct. Detective Constable Rachel Fletcher, of Northumbria Police, has been subjected to a misconduct hearing.
She was accused of saying “all men” were rapists and they should be given a 9pm curfew to stop sex attacks at night. Det Cons Fletcher, who worked in safeguarding, was also accused of describing transgender women as “c**ks in frocks”.
A panel, sitting at Houghton-le-Spring police station, has found that she made all of the comments and had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in relation to Discreditable Conduct, Authority, Respect and Courtesy and Equality and Diversity.
Chair of the panel, Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Hill, told the hearing that each proved allegation amounted to gross misconduct and they collectively amount to Gross Misconduct. The panel will now need to decide what disciplinary action she will be given.
The action they decided on was kicking her out.
During her evidence, Det Con Fletcher said she hated male violence and that some of the things they deal with in protection are “abhorrent”. She said: “But I have not said I hate men.”
She went on to say: “I have been labelled as a man hater because I call out misogyny and I’m a feminist. The atmosphere is, if you call out misogyny, you hate men. That’s what I have been told repeatedly at work – I hate men.”
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Detective Sergeant Damon Hall said he witnessed Det Cons Fletcher make the comment about a curfew for men to another colleague while they were all working at Gateshead Police Station. He said Det Cons Fletcher said: “The only way to stop night time rapes is to put a 9pm curfew on all men.”
Det Sgt Hall said that, although she was known for her dry sense of humour, he did find the comment offensive. He said: “It was offensive to me as a male as it presumes that everyone is capable of rape.”
Or you could understand what she said as a matter of what to do in a situation of incomplete knowledge. Rapists don’t wear labels saying they are rapists, so the only way to be sure would be to lock up all the men. It could be a point about epistemology as opposed to a literal recommendation or an insult.
Det Cons Barbara Callaghan told the hearing how Det Cons Fletcher made the derogatory comments about transgender people during a conversation about new search guidance. She said Det Cons Fletcher had become very upset at the suggestion that female police officers would have to search transgender women, if that is what the individual wanted.
Oh no, how dare a woman get upset at the news that she might have to search a man’s body if he claimed to be a woman.
Det Cons Callaghan said she challenged her fellow officer when she said that transgender women were “cocks in frocks”. In her statement she said: “Although Rachel had a right to her views sometimes she would go to far. She said she would refuse to search transgender women as they are cocks in frocks.”
Why is that to or even too far? It is after all true that transgender women are men.