CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it has not been able to substantiate allegations of sexual misconduct between CPD officers and migrants.
COPA Chief Administrator Andrea Kersten said the allegations involve a known officer in the 10th District alleged to have had sexual contact with an underage female migrant and allegations that several others may have engaged in similar misconduct.
“I can confirm, to date, we have not identified any migrants claiming to be the victim of sexual assault or any form of sexual misconduct by CPD members,” Kersten said.
She said the investigation did result in a similar allegation in the 19th District, also not substantiated.
The initial allegation, she said, came from an unknown source. She said it was circulating among city employees, including some who work for the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
The investigation is continuing.
“Sexual misconduct investigations are complex and sensitive undertakings. There can be profound and sometimes impenetrable barriers, which prevents survivors of sexual misconduct from reporting their experiences or participating in our systems of justice,” Kersten said.
“These barriers are often magnified when an active sexual misconduct is perpetrated by a person in a position of trust, such as a police officer. Because of these challenges, we will continue to take seriously any such allegation and continue to conduct thorough and comprehensive investigations.”
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