- Former Police Watchdog Chief Charged with Rape and Assault
- Charges Authorized by Crown Prosecution Service
- Legal Proceedings and Response
Former police watchdog chief charged with raping and indecently assaulting a child under 16.
Michael Lockwood, 64, is accused of six indecent assaults and three rapes of under-16 girls.
After a past complaint was revealed, he left the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in December.
His attorneys stated that he “vehemently denies” the allegations.
The nine alleged violations occurred between October 1985 and March 1986, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS’s special crime division, stated, “After carefully reviewing all of the evidence provided by Humberside Police, we have authorized charges against Michael Lockwood, 64, for nine violations of the Sexual Offences Act of 1956.”
Mr. Lockwood is charged with six indecent assault and three rape crimes on a girl under 16 in the 1980s.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all parties that Mr. Lockwood is currently facing criminal charges and has the right to a fair trial,”
Mr. Lockwood is scheduled to appear in court on June 28 in Hull.
Mr. Lockwood strongly denies these allegations from almost four decades ago, according to PCB Byrne partner Emma Brooks.
He will vigorously defend his position and continue to participate in the proceedings.
The IOPC stated that it was aware of the allegations and added, “Mr. Lockwood served as IOPC director general from 2018 to 2022 as a Crown appointee and not as an IOPC employee.”
Due to ongoing criminal proceedings, we are unable to comment further.
When the Independent Police Complaints Commission was replaced by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2018, he was the first person appointed to oversee the organization.
It deals with the most severe police complaints in England and Wales.
He was Harrow Council’s chief executive before that.
After the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, a government task force instructed Mr. Lockwood to lead the recovery and remediation efforts and communicate with the bereaved families and survivors.
