Federation has new Victim and witness support officer

6 January 2026

Avon and Somerset Police officers who have been subject to alleged harassment or sexual misconduct in the workplace are to get new representation within the force. 

Mollie Flood is to take on the new full time principal officer role that will focus on supporting victims and witnesses, which she said will provide meaningful support to  colleagues who currently have little structured help.

Mollie, a PC with ten years’ experience in response and investigations, is the Federation’s new Victim and witness support officer

She said: “I will primarily be supporting victims and witnesses in relation to alleged domestic abuse, assaults and misconduct. We, as a Federation, always support the suspects... but we don't do a lot at the moment for the victims who are left and who don't understand the process.”

Mollie's primary role will be supporting victims, answering their questions about processes, timelines, procedure and in helping with practical matters, like whether they need a station or role move or other adjustments. 

Mollie said Avon and Somerset appears to be the first Federation to create the dedicated role, and that she has had great support from the force in setting it up. Her initial focus will include “supporting any kind of alleged sexual misconduct in the workplace”. 

She said: “I want to empower colleagues to come forward in a way that means they don’t have to worry about it having a negative impact upon them. And I will also be working in domestic violence. If allegations are made, we need to support our victims where we can."

A survey by the Police Federation of England and Wales has revealed the most comprehensive picture to date of how officers experience, witness and report misconduct by colleagues and the findings point to a system that many believe is unclear, inconsistent and, in some cases, unsafe to navigate.

The survey, completed by 5,203 officers across all ranks, regions and demographic groups, shows that police‑on‑police misconduct is far from rare. More than one in five officers (21%) have been directly involved in a misconduct case where the perpetrator was another officer. This represents thousands of individuals who have either experienced harmful behaviour or witnessed it happening to colleagues.

Among those involved, witnesses outnumber victims by three to one. Nearly half of all victims say the perpetrator was of the same rank, while 41% say the perpetrator was more senior.