Met Police: Sir Stephen House to be investigated over alleged rape comments

Former Met Police acting commissioner Sir Stephen House is being investigated by the police watchdog over claims he made inappropriate comments about rape.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it is investigating comments Sir Stephen “allegedly made to a Home Office adviser in January 2022”.

He is said to have described the bulk of rape complaints as “regretful sex”.

Sir Stephen, who was deputy commissioner for the Met at the time, denies making the comments.

The IOPC said the accusations were reported earlier this month, adding both Sir Stephen and the Met had been informed of its decision to investigate.

The IOPC’s regional director Mel Palmer said: “The allegation that these comments were made by a very senior police officer is of significant public concern, which may impact on public confidence in policing, and so it is important that they are subject to an independent investigation.”

The development comes after a Channel 4 News investigation, in which Prof Betsy Stanko, an adviser appointed by the Home Office, claimed Sir Stephen made the comments at a meeting with top officers.

Prof Stanko had been tasked with conducting Operation Soteria, a report on the way the police responds to rape cases.

She said: “It felt as if he was trying to minimise what the problem was, not taking it seriously.

“He used terms to describe – or a term to describe – what he thought the bulk of the rape complaints were, which was the term ‘regretful sex’.”

The watchdog said Sir Stephen resigned as a police officer and is currently employed by the Met as a civilian employee.

The current Met police deputy commissioner, Dame Lynne Owens, referred the matter to the IOPC and said: “Rape is a horrific offence that has a devastating and lasting impact.

“The comments included in the Operation Soteria Bluestone report are wholly unacceptable.

“We recognise that they risk further undermining the confidence of victims to come forward and that is deeply regrettable.”

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