United States: A police official from Chicago is facing dismissal for having sexual intercourse with a woman hours after he responded to a burglary at her home in the spring of 2016.
The woman came forward years later as she struggled with mental health issues as well as thoughts of suicide, as per the report by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA).
She asserted that Officer Daniel Otero, who is an 18-year veteran of the department, had returned to her studio apartment, had drinks with her and then sexually assaulted her, COPA said in a report issued in May but made public last week.
Along with this, COPA ruled that there was not enough evidence to prove most of her allegations, such as she was undressed without her consent as well as assaulted.
The police oversight agency mentioned that she and Otero gave conflicting accounts of what happened, with the officer arguing that she was “an active participant.”
In addition, the top agency officials mentioned in the report, “Though COPA acknowledges that [the woman’s] delayed outcry and lack of medical treatment is not an uncommon response to a sexual assault, the lack of corroboration is an obstacle to sustaining the allegations in this case.”
The only sustained allegation centred on Otero engaging in an “improper sexual relationship” with the female.
COPA, as well as Chicago Police superintendent David Brown, have decided and agreed he should be fired.
However, the police officials suspended a separate review because they did not believe the case, COPA highlighted, “met the requirements for a criminal investigation.”
Furthermore, Otero’s attorney, Laura Morask, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
