Detective Constable Rachel Fletcher, 49, has been dismissed from Northumbria Police for gross misconduct and added to a national blacklist, a status shared by individuals like convicted murderer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick. The dismissal follows reports from male colleagues who alleged Fletcher made transphobic and sexist remarks.
According to reports, Fletcher used the phrase “c**ks in frocks” to criticize Northumbria Police guidelines that allow biological men identifying as women to request strip-searches by female officers. She was also reportedly overheard at Gateshead police station saying, “all men are rapists,” though Fletcher maintains she said, “all rapists are men.” Male colleagues also told a disciplinary panel they were offended when Fletcher joked with a female officer that all men should adhere to a 9 p.m. curfew to prevent sexual assaults.
Northumbria Police stated that Fletcher's comments about men were “sexist, inappropriate and offensive,” in addition to a single “transphobic” remark. The force said her actions brought the department into disrepute. Fletcher, a single mother of two, had served for 20 years, working her way up from a civilian role to become a detective. She was instrumental in the February conviction of prolific paedophile Ross Jackson, who received a 23-year sentence.
Fletcher has stated that offending colleagues does not make her a danger to the public and expressed shock at being placed on a list with convicted offenders. She is currently claiming unfair dismissal.
Northumbria’s Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine previously held the LGBTQ portfolio for the National Police Chiefs Council and was involved in drafting the force's trans treatment guidance. Critics, including former Olympic swimmer Baroness Davies and former South Wales Police Superintendent Cathy Larkman, have voiced concerns, with Larkman describing the situation as a “modern-day public witch burning” and Davies suggesting that “woke police forces” are undermining their credibility.
The Northumbria force declined to comment on the case.