3. Mr Baker asked the Minister of Justice to outline the steps that she is taking to address the rise in the number of investigations into police officers alleged to have abused their position for sexual purposes. (AQO 2066/22-27)

Investigations into complaints about the police are an operational matter for the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (OPONI). However, I recognise the potential for abuse of position, including sexual exploitation, by persons in authority when engaging with vulnerable persons. I therefore support the direction of travel from the office of the ombudsman to develop and take forward a work plan that aligns with a key Programme for Government (PFG) objective to combat violence against women and girls. As part of my consideration of the OPONI 2025-26 business plan, I will give careful deliberation to those robust and effective processes to ensure that they are in place to have accountability and safeguarding.

I thank the Minister for her answer. A recent Criminal Justice Inspection report noted that, as of July 2024, the Office of the Police Ombudsman had 19 active investigations of abuse of position for sexual purposes. Does the Minister plan to introduce a more comprehensive vetting process and a code of conduct?

The vetting and employment of police officers is not a matter for the Department of Justice. When you look at the Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJINI) report on abuse of position concerns and complaints, however, you see that there are recommendations on how justice organisations should address matters and the time frames within which they should do so. The PSNI, OPONI and the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) all have responsibilities in addressing the abuse of position that was referenced. Given that those organisations are operationally independent of me, as Minister of Justice, and my Department, I cannot comment on the recommendations' progress. I agree, however, that it is important that robust and effective processes be in place to ensure accountability and safeguarding. We are certainly supportive of engagement on the issue, and, if it is found to be appropriate, we will consider what steps could be taken to improve outcomes, particularly given that the ombudsman's investigations of abuse of a position of trust concern abuse of position for sexual purposes. Given the vulnerability of some of the people in contact with the police, it is important that we have absolute confidence that the individuals involved in that unethical behaviour do not draw other, ethical officers into disrepute.

As a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board's performance committee, I often look at police officer misconduct, for which the professional standards department is responsible. We are aware that there are some issues with the processes. Will the Minister provide an update on her Department's review of the police officer misconduct process?

My Department is exploring legislative proposals on police officer misconduct. Members will be aware that OPONI, in its five-year review, made a number of recommendations, as did the PSNI. I think that there were seven in all on misconduct. Should primary legislative change be required, such legislation may not be able to progress in this mandate, given other legislative pressures. Whether it is primary or secondary legislation, however, it will be subject to a statutory consultation process. It is anticipated that a targeted stakeholder consultation will be initiated in the coming months to look at some of the options that the Department is considering for making more robust investment in professional standards.

I think that the Member previously asked about vetting, on which I did not provide an answer. It is not just about vetting people who, when applying to the PSNI, are vetted in advance but about internal vetting, where information may have come to light about an officer's conduct or behaviour while he is a member of the PSNI. That should be considered carefully if he or she is moving into a sensitive role that could in any way create conflict or concern.

Is the Minister in a position to outline the number of cases of abuse of position for sexual purposes that have been investigated in the past 12 months compared with the previous 12 months?

It is not possible for me to do so, because I do not have access to that information directly. OPONI has, however, advised me that, since 2021, it has received around 40 complaints of what it described as "police predatory behaviour" and that it continues to receive an average of eight cases a year. It has not suggested that the number of cases has significantly increased, but there has certainly been a steady flow.