Hampshire police face IOPC probe over rape failures before Bruno Sala attacked again
Bruno Sala, 39, was jailed in November 2025 after grooming his victims though online dating apps before raping them and inviting other men to attack the women.
But Hampshire Constabulary - which is already being investigated by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) for the response to the murder of Henry Nowak - was warned about Sala five years previously by PC Victoria Tomkins, who told the force she was raped by him in 2020.
Speaking exclusively to LBC, Ms Tomkins, who has waived her right to anonymity, said: “This can no longer be swept under the carpet.
“They need to send a team into Hampshire, tear them apart and rebuild it”.
Ms Tomkins described Hampshire Constabulary’s response to her report of rape as “nasty”, accusing the force of making her feel “worthless and dirty”, which left her feeling suicidal.
The mother-of-two, who has left the force, alleged that she was later threatened with misconduct papers, claiming Hampshire Constabulary lacked accountability and had a culture where misogyny was “rife”.
On Sala, she said: “I knew how dangerous he was. I tried to get him off the street, but I was told I was lying."
Sala, a Portuguese national, went on to rape at least three other women after Ms Tomkins’ report was dismissed.
Ms Tomkins and other survivors say a number of Sala’s accomplices who raped them continue to walk free.
LBC understands that an internal review launched by the force in the wake of Sala’s trial has now triggered a referral to the IOPC. The IOPC confirmed an investigation was in “the early stages”.
In February, Claire Waxman, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, called for a “full-scale” inspection into the force, condemning the handling of the Sala investigation and what she described as a “toxic policing culture”.
It is the second high-profile IOPC investigation into the force in as many weeks, after two officers wrongly arrested Henry Nowak as he lay dying after being stabbed.
Chief Constable Alexis Bloon, head of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, has apologised to the teenager’s family, describing the student’s death as a tragedy from “start to finish”.
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we are independently investigating alleged failures by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary to conduct thorough rape investigations which potentially failed to prevent the re-offending of Bruno Sala.”
In a statement, Hampshire Constabulary confirmed a referral had been made to the IOPC, adding: “We continue to examine whether there are any further lines of enquiry which can be pursued and investigated.
"This includes whether any additional victims can be identified and supported so that we can secure justice for them.”
’Deeply sorry’
Assistant Chief Constable Paul Bartolomeo said: “We recognise that our handling of aspects of this investigation caused additional distress and accept that it fell below the standards expected.
"We are deeply sorry for the harm experienced by those who suffered through the actions of Bruno Sala.
"It is a testament to the bravery of these women that Sala is now facing a lengthy prison sentence for the abhorrent abuse that was committed.”
World Affairs Correspondent
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