A Metropolitan Police officer has denied eight counts including five counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping, and a breach of a non-molestation order. PC Cliff Mitchell, 23, appeared virtually at Croydon Crown Court for a preliminary hearing, where he pleaded not guilty. Mitchell, who is suspended from duty, is accused of raping the same woman five times and kidnapping her and another person. The alleged offenses are said to have occurred between April 2020 and last month.
Mitchell was not on duty when he was arrested in September, according to Scotland Yard. He was remanded in custody until his next hearing in February. The BBC confirms that a referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog regarding the incident.
Earlier this month, Mitchell appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where it was alleged that he had approached a woman with a knife in September and then proceeded to kidnap her into his car. Although Mitchell is not currently on duty, he has been suspended and will face trial in February on the counts that he denies.
The IOPC watchdog confirmed that a referral regarding the officer has been made. The IOPC investigates the UK’s police forces and relevant law enforcement agencies. The investigation will be carried out independently, and the watchdog has made no further comments regarding the case
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