Detective who used ‘degrading acts’ to control women avoided sack by resigning

Daniel Boulter was a detective chief inspector with South Yorkshire Police and previously worked for the Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire forces
Daniel Boulter worked as detective chief inspector based in Rotherham (Lynne Cameron/PA)
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Dave Higgens9 August 2023

A senior detective who led rape investigations “behaved in a deplorable manner towards women” and would have been sacked if he had not resigned, a force said.

South Yorkshire Police (SYP) said former detective chief inspector Daniel Boulter “controlled the lives of two women through manipulation and degrading acts” after he admitted seven charges of gross misconduct.

Mr Boulter resigned ahead of a misconduct hearing earlier this week.

He has behaved in a deplorable manner towards women carrying out acts which were intentional, premeditated and repeated.

Detective Superintendent Delphine Waring

The force said the charges included two of coercive control against two women and five allegations of providing false declarations on vetting forms.

It said investigators uncovered a “catalogue of lies” Mr Boulter had told to South Yorkshire Police and Lincolnshire Police, where he had previously worked.

The misconduct hearing concluded that the senior officer would have been dismissed had he not already resigned.

A spokeswoman said an anonymous call made to Crimestoppers led SYP’s Professional Standards Department to begin looking into Boulter’s vetting form when he transferred to the force from Lincolnshire Police.

Mr Boulter is understood to have joined SYP in 2019 and transferred to Lincolnshire from Northamptonshire Police in 2015.

He failed to disclose any details of two different investigations at two different forces, a longstanding gambling issue and a long-term criminal acquaintance.

The spokeswoman said: “This was a man who had controlled the lives of two women through manipulation and degrading acts.”

Head of professional standards, Detective Superintendent Delphine Waring, said: “The integrity of any police force is based on the honesty of those within it.

“Daniel Boulter circumvented the system with dishonesty and lies as he knew the truth would have ruled him out of working for South Yorkshire Police.

“He has behaved in a deplorable manner towards women carrying out acts which were intentional, premeditated and repeated.”

Ms Waring admitted the case “demonstrated errors in our vetting process in 2019”.

She said: “Since these allegations came to light we have carried out a complete overhaul of our vetting processes and restructured the department.

“As a result, we are now confident that a transferee with this background would not be able to enter the force today.”

The force said Mr Boulter had held the position of detective inspector of rape and serious sexual offences and detective chief inspector of crime in Rotherham during his time at SYP.

While at Lincolnshire Police, he was part of the force’s rape and sexual assault task force, appearing in news stories in 2018 talking about a rise in drink spiking incidents.

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