Firefighters accused of 'photographing dead bodies of women in car accidents and shared on WhatsApp'
1 February 2023, 09:05
Police have launched an investigating into claims firefighters photographed women who died in car accidents.
The men are said to have swapped the harrowing images on a WhatsApp group as well as making degrading comments about female victims after being called to the scene to retrieve their bodies from wreckage.
Several female firefighters have also complained of persistent sexual harassment within their stations, with one male firefighter said to have demanded sexual favours at the scene of a fire.
One whistleblower said: “I’ve seen people make comments about the type of underwear the women are wearing in the car crash.
The female Dorset and Wiltshire firefighter told ITV News: “Retrieving the body of someone dead should tear you apart, not make you want to take photos of it, just to joke about it later.
"Because that’s someone’s loved one, isn’t it? That’s someone’s relative.”
“It disgusts me that I have to work alongside people like this. People aren’t in the job for the right reason. I think they’re just power hungry and they get off on it.”
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Ben Ansell, CFO Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, said in a statement that the police have been alerted as allegations of criminal behaviour are involved.
The service is commissioning an independent investigation into the claims, during which all-female staff will have the opportunity to speak to an independent organisation.
It has also set up a confidential helpline which staff can ring with any “immediate issues” as a result of these allegations.
He said: “The matters that have been raised with us are deeply concerning and we take allegations of this nature extremely seriously.
“There is an expectation for our staff to work in line with our code of ethics which sets out high levels of expected behaviours. The vast majority of our staff are good people, working hard and doing a great job. But when and if those standards are not met, we will move quickly to address it.
“Where people do come forward with concerns, we conduct thorough investigations in accordance with our disciplinary procedures.
“We are unable to comment on individual cases, but what we can say is that we continue to work to ensure that our organisation is a safe place, where staff feel able to report concerns of inappropriate conduct or behaviour.
“We are extremely shocked and appalled to hear about these allegations. We would ask that any individuals affected, provide us with further information to allow us to investigate these allegations and to enable us to offer our support to them.”
