Recommendation - Staffordshire Police, January 2026

The IOPC recommends that Staffordshire Police review their processes to ensure subjects who are under investigation for alleged sexual offences, and attend a voluntary interview, are provided with appropriate information which signposts sources of support. If a subject is subsequently charged (whether by post or otherwise), consideration should be given to whether such information needs to be given again to the subject. 

This recommendation follows a Death or Serious Injury (DSI) investigation concerning Staffordshire Police’s response to a concern for welfare report following which a man was found dead.

The man had attended a voluntary interview displaying signs of previous self-harm. Whilst there was evidence indicating pre- and post-interview risk assessments, which established that he had attempted to take his own life three weeks earlier but had sought medical attention, there was no indication that the leaflet ‘Staffordshire Police advice to persons investigated by the police’ or other signposting support was provided during this contact, despite the visible evidence of self-harm.

The man later took his own life after receiving a postal charge relating to an allegation of sexual touching. Staffordshire Police has created the leaflet ‘Staffordshire Police Advice to Persons investigated by the Police’ which contains advice and contact numbers for external agencies. Such leaflets are normally handed to persons leaving custody having been under arrest. It is not necessarily provided to those attending voluntary interviews, nor is it included in postal charges sent to suspects, as the force’s policy is only to include it for “more serious cases”.

A high proportion of suicides following police contact involve suspects under investigation for sexual offences; the links have been acknowledged to the known research conducted around those more likely to self-harm or consider suicide as a result of offences including sexual assault, in particular, offences against children.

In light of the fact that for postal charges the decision to prosecute is sent to the home address, it is likely to cause distress to those who are more vulnerable in terms of their mental health in a wider range of cases than the force’s current policy includes.

As part of the force’s review of the risk assessment management procedures for child sexual offences and considerations when inviting suspects for voluntary interview, it is recommended that consideration is given to extending the policy to include a wider range of offences and for those attending voluntary interviews and postal charges, to ensure that suspects have information available to them on how they can access support, following all types of contact.

It is the responsibility of the recommendation recipient to ensure that any action taken in response to any IOPC recommendation complies with relevant legislation and obligations, including equality and data protection legislation, and does not prejudice any ongoing investigation or criminal, inquest or misconduct proceedings. 

Accepted

This recommendation has been actioned by the force and they have confirmed their policy and procedures have been updated, with direct reference to the DSI case that the learning recommendation arose from.

A review of the Voluntary Interview Procedure and the policy was amended on 7 September 2024 to incorporate the learning. 

Essentially, they have adopted the learning and updated procedure in accordance with the recommendation, to ensure both local and national support agencies information and the Staffordshire Police advice leaflet are provided to individuals in any future cases. An example information leaflet is included in the policy.