Former police watchdog boss charged with indecent assault and rape
The former boss of the police watchdog has been charged with six counts of indecent assault and three offences of rape against a girl under 16.
The Crown Prosecution Service announced the charges against Michael Lockwood, the former director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog, this morning.
Mr Lockwood will appear at Hull Magistrates' Court on June 28.
He is accused of three counts of rape and six counts of indecent assault between October 1985 and March 1986.
The alleged victim was under the age of 16 at the time.
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His legal team have said Mr Lockwood "strenuously denies all these allegations".
Emma Brooks, partner for the firm acting on his behalf, told the Mirror: "Mr Lockwood strenuously denies all of these allegations from nearly 40 years ago.
"He will strongly defend his position and will continue to cooperate with the proceedings."
Mr Lockwood will appear at Hull Magistrates' Court on June 28 (PA)Rosemary Ainslie, head of the special crime division at the CPS, said: “After carefully considering all of the evidence provided to us by Humberside Police, we have authorised charges against Michael Lockwood, 64, for nine offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956.
“Mr Lockwood has been charged with six counts of indecent assault and three offences of rape against a girl under the age of 16, alleged to have been committed during the 1980s.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Lockwood are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”
In December, Mr Lockwood resigned after becoming the subject of a criminal investigation, the Home Secretary said.
Suella Braverman said at the time she was forced to take “immediate action” after being made aware Mr Lockwood was the subject of a police probe into a “historic allegation”.
She said: “I have accepted Michael Lockwood’s resignation as director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct,”
“I took immediate action upon being made aware that Mr Lockwood was the subject of a police investigation into an historic allegation, and instructed my officials to ask him to resign or face immediate suspension from his role.
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“Home Office staff are working at pace with the IOPC’s Unitary Board to put in place temporary arrangements for the organisation’s leadership.”
Mr Lockwood was the first director general appointed to lead the IOPC when it replaced the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2018.
He said in a statement when he stood down in December: “It is with great sadness that I have decided to resign as director general of the IOPC for personal and domestic reasons, and this will be effective from today.
“It has been an enormous privilege to serve as the first director general of the IOPC and to have led the organisation for the past five years.
“I am proud of the progress we have made and I am grateful to all our staff, the Unitary Board and external stakeholders for all their support.
“The Unitary Board will now work with the Home Office to put in place new leadership arrangements as quickly as possible.”
Mr Lockwood was previously chief executive of the London Borough of Harrow in north-west London.
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