Two former Devon and Cornwall police officers have been found guilty of gross misconduct after a shocking on-duty sex scandal involving a marked police car.
PC Steven Athawes and PC Daria Krolewicz faced serious allegations regarding their conduct on the night of 30 May into 31 May 2021. Had they still been serving, both officers would have been dismissed without notice.
Athawes was accused of planning to pick up the off-duty Krolewicz without any policing reason, which was deemed a blatant neglect of duty. He allegedly engaged in sexual encounters with Krolewicz inside a marked police vehicle while on duty. Additionally, Athawes lied to colleagues by claiming he was on a medication run and unavailable for calls, when in fact he was picking up Krolewicz.
Krolewicz was accused of knowingly participating in the sexual acts with an on-duty officer inside the police car.
Following a two-day public hearing, a misconduct panel ruled that both officers breached police standards relating to honesty, integrity, respect, and professional behaviour. The panel confirmed that if Athawes and Krolewicz were still serving, they would have been dismissed immediately.
Furthermore, their details will be placed on the College of Policing Barred List, effectively preventing any possibility of returning to policing in the future.
The verdict serves as a clear warning to all officers that misconduct, especially involving abuse of trust while on duty, will not be tolerated.
Originally published by UKNIP.
