Rapist Officer May Retain Pension and Payout Despite Convictions

A former police officer convicted of multiple sex crimes, including rape, may be able to keep his full pension and a substantial lump sum payment, The Mail has learned. Campbell Petrie, 50, was found guilty of nine charges related to the physical and sexual abuse of two women over a 16-year period. The offenses occurred between 2006 and 2022.

Despite an earlier investigation into an alleged attack in 2009, Petrie was promoted to sergeant and continued his service. He retired last year, shortly after his second arrest in connection with the crimes for which he was recently convicted. It is understood that he could retain a pension lump sum estimated at £150,000, a benefit that would have been at risk if he had been convicted while still employed by the police.

The Scottish Police Authority (SPA), the civilian oversight body for policing in Scotland, is reportedly seeking to seize his pension. However, current regulations may prevent the full confiscation of his retirement benefits. The SPA's ability to withhold the pension is likely contingent on proving that Petrie's crimes were committed while he was on duty. If this cannot be established, the SPA may be limited in the amount of pension it can recover, potentially only seizing the employer's contribution, which accounts for approximately 65 percent of the total. Petrie himself contributed to the remaining portion of his pension.

Legal experts and former policing officials have commented on the complexity of pension forfeiture in such cases. "This is a very difficult area and open to legal challenge," one insider noted, adding that "there are strict rules on pensions."

Stephen Kerr, Scottish Conservative justice spokesman, expressed strong opposition to Petrie retaining his pension, stating, "A man convicted of rape and serious sexual offences should not be able to walk away with a taxpayer-funded police pension as if nothing happened. Every possible avenue to strip him of that pension must be pursued."

Petrie, who had worked undercover during his career, was convicted on Wednesday and has been remanded in custody. An SPA spokesman confirmed the authority's commitment to pursuing pension forfeiture when the relevant regulatory criteria are met.