"I should have been able to trust him": Former West Yorkshire detective jailed over abuse victim relationship

Wasim Bashir, 55, was found guilty of one count of misconduct in a public office for having a sexual relationship with the woman while working in the Kirklees safeguarding team .

Sheffield Crown Court heard the woman started a relationship with Bashir after reporting a sexual assault to police in 2020.

She said Bashir and a female officer had been involved in taking her statement, but he got in touch with her a few days later and asked if she was OK.

The woman, who had mental health issues, said she was grateful for his concern and agreed to meet him for a coffee.

They started a sexual relationship which stopped when she started seeing someone else.

The woman said they stayed in touch until she became aware that he had posted photographs of the two of them on an adult “swingers” website presenting them as a couple.

She said she contacted Bashir to protest about this, and he apologised and promised to delete it.

Jurors heard the woman decided to report the relationship to police at the end of 2021.

In a victim impact statement read during today’s sentencing hearing, the woman said the man she was “supposed to trust” manipulated her and used her for sexual gratification.

The statement read: “I should have been able to trust him due to the position he held within the police.”

In mitigation, Jason Pitter KC said the breakdown of Bashir’s marriage in 2017 had had a profound impact on him.

Bashir, who has since retired from the force, was cleared of another charge of misconduct in a public office alleging he contacted two other women inappropriately.

Jailing Bashir for over two years, judge Charles Thomas said: “Your behaviour towards (the complainant) was a gross breach of trust…You prioritised your own sexual gratification.”

Speaking last week Detective Superintendent Natalie Dawson, deputy head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “For a police officer to pursue a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman who had come forward to report being victim of a sexual offence is nothing short of abhorrent.

“I want to reassure victims of crime and the wider public that this former officer is not representative of our organisation. One of the Force’s key purposes is to protect vulnerable people, and our officers and staff work tirelessly to protect people from harm and to safeguard victims.

“We took swift action to suspend Bashir from duty after potential misconduct in a public office was reported. A comprehensive investigation was then carried out under the direction of the IOPC to understand other victims he had had contact with and the nature of this contact.

“Former DC Bashir has retired from the organisation, but we will still continue with misconduct proceedings with a view to him being banned from gaining any further employment in the policing profession.

“This case serves as a timely reminder to the public to report any concerns that they have about a police officer or staff member’s interaction with them or someone they know. Victims of abuse of position may not always see themselves as a victim and we need anyone with concerns to report it to us so that we can ensure it is investigated.

“It doesn’t matter whether someone has encountered the police as a victim, witness or suspect for an offence, they should expect any police officer or staff member that they come into contact with to act professionally and in line with the Code of Ethics.

“We know people may have concerns about contacting the police to make a report about the conduct of someone working in the police. I hope this prosecution demonstrates that we will act in such cases. Investigations of this nature are conducted by specialist officers in our Professional Standards Directorate and all reports will be dealt with sensitively.

“There are also options available to report incidents anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers."