One of the most alarming cases reported to UKCP.UK comes from a trusted source with substantiated evidence, detailing an unlawful arrest based on a police fabricated rape allegation and a subsequent intentional cover-up of this by South Yorkshire Police officers.
The victim (who wishes to remain anonymous) has alleged that officers in South Yorkshire Police orchestrated an arrest in September 2024 based on a non-existent rape allegation, leading to over 35 hours of unlawful detention, humiliation, and lasting psychological harm.
The incident began when officers arrested the victim, citing rape as the necessity.
Subsequent evidence (known to the police before the arrest) revealed that no such allegation was ever made, with the investigation logs showing that the complainant even confirmed that they made no allegation of rape.
Despite this, SYP officers circulated the victim as wanted, citing them being wanted for rape and harassment. Subject Access Requests later indicate the malicious detail of rape is on record. The victim vehemently denies all allegations, and has no clue where the rape allegation originated.
A formal complaint was lodged in December 2024 and was handled by SYP’s Professional Standards Department (PSD) Complaints Resolution Officer Mrs Wild.
In March 2025 outcome letter, Mrs Wild upheld the arrest as being justified, relying on statements from the female investigating officer PC 1198 Katie Gillatt (now believed to be on maternity leave) and DI 1067 Dakin. Both maintained the fabricated offence to allegedly to cover for the misconduct, stating on the record
The reason for arrest was recorded as Rape
Notwithstanding this and without any verification of available evidence logs that proved these lies, Mrs Wild went on to concluded that the level of service from SYP was “acceptable“, finalising the complaint, leaving the victim shocked and traumatised at what was believed to be a malicious and false allegation.
Nine months later…
In July 2025, after suffering months of health trauma and having suicidal tendencies, the victim pressed SYP to investigate what was believed to be a malicious, false rape allegation, was contacted by a SYP officers by a secure video chat. The officer notified the victim that there no false rape allegation, as no allegation of rape was ever made. The officer went on to confirm that the police investigation logs prove that SYP knew of this before the arrest.
Shocked by what he discovered, and the apparant cover up, he referred the matter internally to PSD.
UPDATE: Further evidence has since come to light (UKCP has reviewed this) proving that SYP were undeniably aware there was no rape allegation, and that it appears that officers lied in the complaints process to cover up the own misconduct.
The victim is demanding a criminal investigation.
Even a statutory review by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority in May 2025 upheld the SYP investigation, without any investigation of the available evidence logs, only taking the word of officers without verifying the false accounts.
Making matters worse, data protection failures compound the scandal. SYP obstructed Subject Access Requests (SARs), refusing to disclose the investigation logs and the recorded video call where the victim was notified of the coverup.
A data disclosure officer then declared they would not disclosure any more information, believed to be an attempt to cover up the misfeasance, later providing the video call under a threat of legal action. No investigation logs have yet been released to the victim.
Custody CCTV of the victim at Barnsley police station was said to have “failed” twice, 18 hours apart on separate cameras, which suggests possible evidence tampering. The blanket redactions within the SAR, without exemption, suggest a systematic cover up by multiple departments in SYP including an Inspector from another force.
This case fits a grim pattern at SYP. The force’s PSD has faced scrutiny for mishandling complaints, with quarterly reports showing persistent issues in timeliness and transparency.
Historically, SYP’s cover-up in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster led to dozens of upheld misconduct claims in 2025, though no prosecutions followed as officers had retired.
The Rotherham grooming scandal, where over 1,400 children were abused amid police inaction, saw the National Crime Agency (NCA) take over due to lost public faith, with arrests of former SYP officers for child sexual abuse in 2025.
Just last month, SYP was reprimanded by the ICO for deleting 96,000 body-worn video files, affecting 126 criminal cases, a stark parallel to the alleged evidence tampering here.
In 2023, a similar data loss of bodycam footage impacted 69 cases, drawing apologies but little reform.
Such repeated failures destroy public trust in the police.
Recent misconduct hearings, including a PC’s improper relationship in August 2025, underscore ongoing cultural issues. Whistle-blowers and the IOPC have criticised SYP’s handling of child abuse responses, with claims of bias and concealment persisting.
This victim has demanded unedited records and logs (so far being stonewalled) also requesting a crime reference for alleged criminality. So far, no crime has been recorded, despite the overwhelming evidence.
The contact details of the victim are withheld, they have agreed to speak with mainstream media under anonymity, please contact us if you are in the main stream media and we will pass your details to the victim.
It is understood the victim has made direct contact with the Chief Constable, Lauren Poultney, who has diverted the matter right back to PSD who covered up the first complaint.
SYP have been asked for their comments but declined.
I have had issues with unlawful arrest lies from their psd
fabrication of evidence south yorkshire police a disgrace
utterly disgraceful why oh why is this always directed to their corrupt buddies in PSD and reduced to a complaint it is evident to the untrained eye this is acts of vile criminality and this mob walks free something has to change
I have had problems with lies from South Yorkshire psd and West Yorkshire police very sick breed of people who are not interested in the public.