Gwent Police has issued a public apology and agreed to a substantial civil compensation settlement with two former female officers who were subjected to domestic abuse by former police constable Clarke Joslyn.
The settlement concludes a civil claim for damages alleging institutional negligence, brought by the two survivors, known as “Jodie” and “Sarah,” following years of institutional failure.
The two women were serving as probationary constables when they first encountered Joslyn, who was directly responsible for elements of their training.
Joslyn leveraged his seniority, professional status, and supervisory authority to groom both recruits into personal relationships.
Once the relationships were established, Joslyn subjected both women to domestic abuse.
When the two officers formally reported Joslyn’s criminal conduct to management, the force failed to initiate adequate investigations.
Instead of receiving safeguarding protections, both women were subjected to persistent workplace victimisation and hostility from Joslyn’s colleagues, with senior officers failing to intervene or offer welfare support.
Subsequent inquiries established that Joslyn had engaged in predatory behaviour and victimisation against several other women over a prolonged period.
Despite repeated warnings and reports, Gwent Police permitted Joslyn to retain his operational status and maintained his regular access to incoming female recruits.
Formal disciplinary action was not launched until 2018.
Joslyn tendered his resignation from Gwent Police shortly before an independent misconduct panel convened in 2019, which formally concluded that his conduct amounted to gross misconduct.
In statements released following the settlement, the survivors condemned the institutional response.
Jodie recounted reporting Joslyn’s crimes in 2012, only to have her integrity questioned by what she termed a protective culture within the force.
Sarah explained that coming forward resulted in the loss of her reputation, physical and mental wellbeing, and her career within the police service after five years of employment.
Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman delivered a direct personal apology on behalf of the force, acknowledging that Gwent Police had failed to support the victims or hold the perpetrator accountable at the time the reports were made.
The legal challenge was conducted by solicitors Harriet Wistrich and Kate Ellis of the Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ).
The case forms a central part of evidence compiled in a landmark national super-complaint regarding police-perpetrated domestic abuse, an ongoing inquiry that has seen more than 155 women come forward with reports of abuse committed by serving police officers across the United Kingdom.
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