Media: 1,800 US police officers accused of abusing minors in last 17 years
The Washington Post identified that about 1,800 US law enforcement officers were accused of sexual abuse of minors between 2005 and 2020, with many of them escaping punishment, TASS reports
According to the publication, among 17,700 police officers who were charged with criminal offenses in 2005-2020; one out of every 10 cops was charged with a felony involving child sexual abuse.
The newspaper notes that 99 percent of the accused were male, and 66 percent had served in law enforcement agencies for more than five years by the time of their detention. At the same time, 47 arrested police officers held the positions of police chiefs, chief sheriffs or other senior positions.
The publication added that such offenses are often not dealt with within the US criminal justice system. At the same time, the accused often avoid punishment. According to media reports, almost 40 percent of law enforcement officials avoided jail time.
