Rapist police officer was first arrested and released 17 years ago

A former police sergeant convicted of rape was first arrested 17 years ago following a complaint from one of his victims.

Campbell Petrie, 50, is facing a lengthy jail sentence after being found guilty of sex offences and violence against two women between 2006 and 2022.

Police Scotland told BBC News that one of the women, who he met through his job, made a complaint of threatening behaviour against Petrie in 2009.

He was arrested and held in a police station for five hours, but no further action was taken because of a lack of evidence.

Petrie remained a serving officer until another woman made an allegation of rape against him in October 2023, prompting an investigation by specialist sexual crime officers.

He was arrested, charged and suspended in December 2023, and retired from the force two years later.

Petrie denied the allegations but was convicted of nine charges after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

The case has appalled workers at Rape Crisis Scotland, which supports survivors of sexual violence.

The organisation's external affairs manager, Nicola Love, said: "It does stick in the throat that someone like that is allowed to leave the force on their own terms, instead of as a result of what they've done.

"We know perpetrators come from all walks of life, and that does include the police force, but it provokes an intense reaction because these people have a duty to protect us.

"There's an expectation that they keep us safe, and this flies in the face of that."

Petrie was found guilty of indecently assaulting one of the women while she was asleep and on various occasions between 2006 and 2009.

He was convicted of raping the second woman on multiple occasions between 2011 and 2014.

A trial found he assaulted both women to the danger of their lives by grabbing their throats and restricting their breathing.

Petrie's conviction means that three serving or former Police Scotland officers have been exposed as rapists this year.

In July, Cameron Ross was jailed for ten years for raping two women and subjecting a third to a campaign of abuse.

Three weeks later, a BBC Disclosure investigation revealed that Alan Greer - a police officer who took his own life in May - was a violent rapist who had attacked and attempted to murder women over at least 14 years.

Further BBC Scotland inquiries established that Greer had passed vetting checks to join Strathclyde Police in 2009, despite having two reports of criminal behaviour against women on his record.

At least 15 potential victims of Greer have been identified so far and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) has been brought in to carry out an independent investigation.

Under its terms of reference, published this week, the NPCC will try to identify whether his crimes could have been discovered any earlier.

The Petrie case has raised fresh questions over background checks on police in Scotland.

In 2023, all UK forces carried out a "historic data wash" following the crimes of Met officers Wayne Couzens, who abducted and murdered Sarah Everard, and serial rapist David Carrick.

Officers and staff were checked against the national police data base to identify whether they had a criminal past which had been missed.

Police Scotland's deputy chief constable Bex Smith told BBC Scotland: "In 2009 Campbell Petrie was arrested and questioned in connection with a complaint of threatening behaviour, however, the case did not proceed due to insufficient evidence.

"The independent historic data wash, carried out by UK policing between March and July 2023, interrogated the Police National Database and did not identify any unknown information on Petrie.

"The checks carried out by Police Scotland went further than UK forces and included robust interrogation of both the vulnerable person's database and intelligence system."

In total, 23,822 Police Scotland officers, staff and volunteers were checked during that process.

Concerns were raised about just eight individuals, with a civilian member of staff facing a criminal investigation.

In the wake of Petrie's conviction and the Greer case, the Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) said they were "deeply concerned" about vetting at the force.

The chief inspector of constabulary, Craig Naylor, said: "HMICS have previously scrutinised Police Scotland's arrangements for vetting, misconduct and the management of officers subject to allegations of wrongdoing, and have made a number of recommendations for improvement.

"We have recently raised concern with both Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority about a lack of progress in relation to the vetting of officers within Police Scotland, including the effectiveness of a historic data wash exercise and the associated assurance around these issues."

Strengthening vetting procedures is a key aim of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act passed by the Scottish Parliament in January 2025.

The intention is that all officers will now undergo a career-long, structured regime of on-going vetting.

Scotland's justice secretary Neil Gray described Petrie's case as "extremely disturbing" and his abuse of his position of trust as "abhorrent."

He said: "Police officers are rightly expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, which is why we have strengthened vetting through legislation and Police Scotland have been clear there is an ongoing programme of work to re-vet all officers."

The new law contains a provision which would allow Police Scotland to continue misconduct proceedings against officers who resign or retire but that part of the legislation has not yet been enacted.

BBC Scotland understands Petrie's conviction is likely to have an impact on his pension. The Scottish Police Authority can seek the forfeiture of his employer's contributions.

Police Scotland said they regarded violence against women and girls, which has become the subject of major public concern and a renewed political focus, as an "absolute priority".

Deputy chief constable Smith praised Petrie's second victim for coming forward in 2023 and noted that her evidence helped the force identify his previous offending.

She said: "We understand how difficult it can be to report these kinds of offences, particularly when the perpetrator is a police officer.

"I want to reassure the public we will identify and investigate these officers whether they are serving or retired, or whether their crimes are committed on duty or, as in this instance, off duty."

That was echoed by the Scottish Police Federation, which represents officers up to the rank of chief inspector.

The federation's chair David Threadgold said: "I will never try to hide from the fact that these are shocking cases and the public are quite rightly asking if they can have confidence in the police.

"But the very fact that these individuals have been identified, investigated and taken through the judicial process, should provide reassurance."