A misconduct hearing applies a civil standard of proof and can result in dismissal. A criminal prosecution applies the criminal standard. The two are separate, an acquittal in court does not prevent a misconduct finding. The IOPC oversees the complaints system. The College of Policing barred list is not publicly searchable, which is itself a documented accountability gap.
Last updated 2 June 2026
IOPC 2024/25 annual data
Complaints logged, highest since current legislation, +11%
94,940
Review applications to IOPC, +14%
2,428
Of completed IOPC reviews found force handling unreasonable
30%
Officers referred to formal misconduct proceedings, year to March 2023
1,300
How misconduct proceedings work
Outcomes range from management action through to dismissal without notice
Dismissed officers placed on the College of Policing barred list (not publicly searchable)
Hearings normally held in public, outcomes published
Complaints can be escalated to the IOPC if a complainant is unsatisfied with force handling
February 2026 · Misconduct999 · Greater Manchester Police
Officer wins anonymity but hearing held in public
A former GMP officer who applied to have his misconduct case heard in private was granted anonymity but a senior officer ruled the hearing must take place in public. Details emerged of repeated sexualised and misogynistic behaviour spanning years. Relevant to VNS's monitoring of GMP, subject of the Dame Vera Baird inquiry (July 2024) following the institutional DARVO experienced by Maria at Pendleton police station. The Baird inquiry found GMP's conduct 'obviously wrong, in every way you can dream of.'
ITV / Parole Board · May 2026
Believe Me, Worboys drama and 2026 parole update
ITV broadcast a four-part drama, Believe Me, from 10 May 2026, documenting the survivors' Human Rights Act challenge to the Met and the judicial review of the 2018 parole decision. The Parole Board had scheduled a public oral hearing for 9-10 June 2026 (a transparency mechanism introduced after 2018) but granted Worboys' request for a paper review instead. The paper review concluded on 21 April 2026: the Board refused his release and refused to recommend transfer to open prison.