Collapse of sectarian accusations against police: chief constable Jon Boutcher responds
The chief constable has reacted to the news that ‘Sean’ – the anonymous ex-officer who alleged sectarianism within the force – had made his claims up.
Jon Boutcher issued a statement at noon today on the subject, having previously refused to elaborate on his remarks at the Policing Board on May 8.
Full details at this link.
The allegations of sectarianism had originally been made in the press on March 8, and were strongly denied by scores of Sean’s former colleagues in the Tactical Support Group (TSG).
In his statement, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “I want to acknowledge Sean’s courageous decision to issue this statement [which you can read in full here] and I urge everyone to respect Sean’s plea for privacy.
"I was aware that Sean may provide a retraction but have deliberately waited for him to take this step before commenting.
“I have said publicly and very clearly to the Policing Board and reiterate again now, there was no sectarianism in this case.
"I am grateful to Sean for setting the record straight and for the dignity and professionalism displayed by his serving and retired colleagues during this challenging time. They are a credit to policing.
“After my meeting with Sean I described him as a decent man and his statement of retraction is nothing short of what I expected.
"To their huge credit the very colleagues Sean criticised also described him to me as a good and decent man.
"Those colleagues (retired and serving) behaved impeccably through this period and have demonstrated immense humility and generosity towards Sean. As I have already stated publicly, they have my full support.
“The PSNI will provide Sean with whatever welfare support he requires. He was clearly vulnerable and this was evident to me when I met him.”