Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after a woman claimed she was drugged and sexually assaulted in custody.
Zayna Iman, 38, alleges she found herself half-naked and face down in a cell after she was arrested in February 2021. Today, the police watchdog said it is reviewing evidence of her arrest before deciding if it will take further action.
Sky News claims that there are three hours of missing footage from Ms Iman’s 40 hours in custody that GMP have so far failed to supply.
Medical records show evidence of sexual injuries, Sky News reported, with former GMP chief superintendent, Martin Harding, who has seen available footage, saying he believes she was raped by an officer.
“Instead of providing an unconscious female with medical attention they thought, ‘I know let’s take her clothes off instead and leave her there’,” Ms Iman said.
“It’s just something that the police do for their own perverse kicks.”
She added: “I believe I was drugged and sexually assaulted during my detainment with Greater Manchester Police.”
She went on to say she believed this had had been carried out by more than one police officer.
Police arrested Ms Iman after she allegedly knocked an officer’s glasses from her face after receiving a callout about a woman high on cocaine.
Her memory of her time in custody is patchy, but she obtained footage and custody logs relating to her time in custody using a subject access request.
Sky News claimed there are three significant gaps for which GMP failed to provide footage, the first coming shortly after Ms Iman was arrested at 1.53am.
According to the broadcaster, the journey to the police station should have taken just 10 minutes but Ms Iman was next seen an hour and a half after the arrest, being carried into a cell – apparently unconscious – at 3.26am.
She is carried by three female police officers, while a fourth female officer helps in what Ms Iman described as a strip search, Sky reported.
Mr Harding said he could see “no justification at all” for the alleged strip search and said there is nothing on the custody record to explain why it was carried out, according to Sky News.
“She’s left face down, when they suspect she might have had a drugs overdose so where is the duty of care?” Mr Harding said.
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has said that he has also ordered a review of the “extremely distressing” detention by GMP, saying: “I will be overseeing things to ensure that everything is fully investigated.”
A medical report, seen by Sky News, allegedly states Ms Iman was admitted to hospital with an acute psychotic episode and it was “highly likely that this is drug related to ‘the date rape drug’ which led to a sexual assault.”
Ms Iman said: “Why would you withhold footage? The very footage that could either prove or disprove my allegations you will not part with.
“Who’s got something to hide? I’m openly saying that at some point during my detention with Greater Manchester Police I was drugged and sexually assaulted, prove me wrong – give me the footage.”
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We received a complaint referral in May 2022 from Zayna Iman in relation to allegations about her treatment in police custody. Following careful consideration of the available information we directed the force to carry out a local investigation in July.
“In light of the new information and concerns raised in media reports today we have been in further discussions with Greater Manchester Police and agreed with them that they should submit a new referral so we can assess new information.
“We will be reviewing existing and additional information before determining if any further action is required from us.”
Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said: “I want to make it absolutely clear that we understand and share the concerns of the public regarding allegations against Greater Manchester Police which were aired in a television report today.
“Miss Iman’s allegations regarding her treatment in custody, in February 2021, are subject to an ongoing investigation. The force made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct which instructed a GMP-led investigation.
“Having reviewed the content of the television report which highlights additional concerns, I have taken the decision to make another referral to the IOPC in order to assure Ms Iman and the public that all of her allegations will be rigorously and independently reviewed.”
