Policemen could be charged over doctored rape statement claims

Three Scotland Yard officers could be prosecuted over claims they doctored an alleged rape victim's statement to halt an inquiry.

Independent officials suspect they altered paperwork to make it appear the woman wanted to retract her claims.

The allegations came to light after the woman was shown her original statement made after an attack in south London in May 2009.

The officers were due to face a misconduct hearing to answer charges of gross misconduct over how they handled her case and a second rape.

But the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said this had been postponed while a separate inquiry was undertaken into the new claims.

Officials have liaised with lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider whether any criminal offences have been committed.

The officers involved are a detective constable, trainee detective constable and constable, all formerly based at Walworth police station, Southwark.

They were members of a sapphire unit, a branch of the Metropolitan Police designed to improve the investigation of sex crimes that has since been reformed.

Their alleged actions would have effectively got the alleged crime "off the books" at a time when officers are under huge pressure to improve performance figures.

An IPCC spokesman said: "Three officers were due to face a misconduct hearing in relation to their handling of two separate allegations of rape.

"However, one of the original complainants has made a new allegation, that a statement she gave to the original rape enquiry, which she had only just seen, had been altered without her consent.

"This new allegation is now being investigated and the misconduct hearing has therefore been postponed."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "The Met takes any allegation that officers have not provided the service we and the public expect very seriously.

"Two complaints were made to the Met about how officers had responded to two allegations of rape.

"We referred both these complaints to the IPCC and have fully co-operated with their independent investigation."

The two detectives have been placed on restricted duties and have no contact with the public. The third officer has had no restrictions placed on his work.

The Met has faced stinging criticism of its treatment of sex attack victims in the wake of the conviction of rapist taxi driver John Worboys and sex stalker Kirk Reid.

Members of Southwark's Sapphire team were also criticised by the IPCC in March last year over a rape investigation involving a teenager in 2005.

Senior officers have overhauled their approach, bringing borough units under a central command and investing in better training and work to gather information.