Rapist police officer accused of earlier attack – but case was dropped

Cameron Ross, a former police officer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the rape of two women and for subjecting a third to prolonged violent abuse. The case has drawn attention because Ross was initially accused of sexual assault 12 years prior, but the original allegation did not proceed to trial. Despite the seriousness of the accusation in 2014, Ross continued his police career for six more years after the earlier case was dismissed.

In 2014, Ross was suspended by Police Scotland following an allegation from a woman who claimed he raped her on the Isle of Lewis. However, the prosecutors dropped the case in 2016, reportedly just one day before it was due to be presented to a jury. After an internal review, Ross was cleared and reinstated to the police force. The woman who made the original allegation later expressed her distress, saying she had been “denied justice” and that she “would never get closure” because of how the inquiry was handled.

Ross faced suspension once again in June 2022 after another woman accused him of physical abuse. Further investigation revealed additional allegations, including two women stating that Ross had raped them in Stornoway in 2012 and 2014. One victim recounted an assault at a party on Lewis, where Ross pinned her down and raped her, leaving lasting trauma. The second woman described being overpowered and raped by Ross in June 2014. Additionally, Ross subjected a third woman to abusive behavior over an extended period between October 2019 and June 2022 in Inverness.

The trial at the High Court in Edinburgh began in May, and Ross resigned from the police force following his conviction last month. Notably, the original 2014 rape allegation was not included in the court proceedings due to a prosecutorial agreement made when charges were dropped, described as an “irrevocable renunciation” of the right to prosecute Ross for that incident. Police Scotland later issued an apology for communication failures during their handling of the earlier case. Chief Superintendent Helen Harrison acknowledged shortcomings and outlined the involvement of the Police Investigations Review Commissioner’s 2019 review, which found most complaints were handled appropriately but recommended further inquiry into one specific complaint. Updates were provided to the complainant and PIRC upon the inquiry’s conclusion in 2020. The Crown Office has not yet commented on the matter

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