08/06/2026
Many of you have been following the deeply concerning case of 15-year-old Rocco, who suffered life-changing injuries after being impaled on a metal fence during an encounter with Suffolk Police.
While Suffolk Police's Professional Standards Department (PSD) initially issued a report clearing all officers involved, we lodged a formal appeal with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The IOPC has officially upheld our appeal, quashing the original report on the grounds that it was sub-standard, lacked an evidence-based rationale, and contradicted the available evidence. Suffolk Police have been ordered to reopen the matter and conduct a full reinvestigation.
However, the process faces further scrutiny. Despite the original report being overturned due to major investigative flaws, Suffolk PSD has reappointed the exact same investigator to conduct the new inquiry. We have firmly challenged this decision, as an impartial and thorough review requires an objective investigator untainted by previous procedural errors.
Our leading expert, Iain Gould, has published a detailed breakdown exposing the specific failures of the first investigation, including the failure to interview the officers under caution and the contradictions in the video footage.
Read the full breakdown of where the case stands and what happens next on Iain's blog: https://iaingould.co.uk/2026/05/04/police-complaint-whitewash-how-psd-undermine-professional-standards/
Today’s blog post argues that the police complaints system, intended to uphold professional standards and protect the public, is frequently undermined by Professional Standards Departments (PSD) th…