Sussex Police officers will face misconduct hearings over murder of Shana Grice

Multiple police officers are to face misconduct proceedings in relation to the tragic murder of Shana Grice.
Multiple officers are facing action over police handling of the caseMultiple officers are facing action over police handling of the case
Multiple officers are facing action over police handling of the case

Shana was killed by her stalker ex-boyfriend Michael Lane, whom she had reported to police several times.

Sussex Police were heavily criticised for how they dealt with the case, and since then have made stalking a top priority.

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Lane, then 27, of Portslade, was convicted of her murder in 2017 and jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years.

An article from last year discussing Sussex Police's response to Shana Grice's deathAn article from last year discussing Sussex Police's response to Shana Grice's death
An article from last year discussing Sussex Police's response to Shana Grice's death

Officers to face misconduct proceedings

Now it can be revealed that multiple police officers will face misconduct proceedings in relation to Shana's killing.

Two officers, one of whom has retired, will face gross misconduct hearings in public.

Another officer will face internal misconduct proceedings, police confirmed.

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Three other police officers and three members of police staff, have received management advice and further training. Five other police and staff are not to face any action.

Investigators reveal ongoing issues with how Sussex Police handles stalking

In a report released today, investigators reveal that Sussex Police still has work to do in combating stalking, despite making significant improvements.

Investigators from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said that 'stalking and harassment cases are not always investigated effectively' and 'many victims of these crimes do not receive the support they require'.

Police 'deeply regret' Shana's tragic death

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Assistant Chief Constable Nick May, said: “We deeply regret the tragic death of Shana Grice in 2016 and are committed to constantly improving our understanding of stalking and our response to it. “When we looked at the circumstances leading to Shana’s murder, we felt we may not have done the very best we could and made a referral to the IOPC. “Our then Deputy Chief Constable personally visited Shana’s family to apologise on behalf of Sussex Police. “Since then we have undertaken all their recommendations, thoroughly reviewed all aspects of how we deal with cases of stalking and harassment and have significantly improved our service to victims. “We are recording the second highest number of reports anywhere in the UK after the Met, and are now advising and supporting more victims than ever. With better awareness and enhanced training our approach is more robust in keeping people safe and feeling safe. “We encourage victims to come forward with the knowledge that our officers and staff are better trained and that they will take all reports seriously. We are absolutely aware of the consequences if our response is not the correct one, so we want to ensure that victims have confidence in how both police and the CPS will support them.”