Serving police officer, 23, is charged with raping woman in early hours of the morning
- Fraser McDowall, 23, has been charged with raping a woman in October last year
- The Lincolnshire PC was first arrested on November 5 in relation to the incident
- He will remain suspended while his own force investigates the incident
- McDowall was released on bail and is due to appear at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on March 10
A serving Lincolnshire Police officer has been charged with raping a woman in the early hours of the morning.
PC Fraser McDowall, 23, has been suspended whilst the investigation into the incident continues after he was charged today, February 2.
He was first arrested on November 5 last year in relation to the incident, which is alleged to have happened in Lincoln on October 16 last year.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct decided that Lincolnshire Police, PC McDowall’s own force, should investigate the incident.
PC Fraser McDowall, 23, has been suspended from his probationary officer role with Lincolnshire Police after being charged with raping a woman in October last year. Pictured: Lincolnshire Police headquarters
He had been working as a probationary officer based in Lincoln.
Chris Haward, the Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police, said: ‘I know this will be concerning and upsetting to people in our communities in Lincolnshire and further afield.
‘Our entire Lincolnshire Police family feels this way too.
‘It has come at a time when police officer conduct is under intense scrutiny and is the subject of almost daily news reporting, so we understand keenly the public’s concern about allegations such as these.
‘We have taken swift measures to ensure that this matter has been investigated thoroughly and robustly, and work continues even though a charge has now been brought.
‘We are providing specialist support to the alleged victim and will continue to do so throughout the process.
‘I would like to remind everyone that we must allow the criminal and court proceedings to take place without prejudice.
‘It is not right to speculate about the outcome and as soon as there are any significant updates, we will make sure we release that information to you.’
PC McDowall has been released on police bail and he is due to appear at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on March 10.