Rape victim of former South Devon cop praised for her courage

The rape victim of a former South Devon police officer has been praised for her courage in making sure he was brought to justice.

Stuart Mines has been sentenced to eight years in prison for raping the woman in his South Devon home.

Mines, aged 49, attacked the victim after inviting her over for Sunday lunch in October 2022. Despite her repeatedly telling him ‘no’, he raped her in his bedroom. Mines, of Chudleigh, denied the charge of rape but was found guilty by a jury following a trial at Exeter Crown Court in February. Following his conviction, he was dismissed from Devon & Cornwall Police.

Mines has now been sentenced. He will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life and is subject to an order preventing him from contacting the victim.

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, thanked his victim. She said: "Police officers who abuse their position of trust to commit such despicable crimes are a disgrace to the force and the Chief Constable will continue to use the full force of the law to bring them to justice.

“I would like to thank the victim who found the strength to report this man when her faith in policing had been abused and destroyed. Many women who experience sexual violence are unable to or don’t want to report to police, and I hope this significant sentence will give reassurance that people who commit such vile acts can and will be caught and severely punished.

“The hard work of the police officers who brought Mines to justice is a credit to our force and will send a message to all victims of rape and serious sexual offences that they will always be believed.

“Violence against women and girls is an epidemic in our society and I am committed to identifying radical solutions to stamp out such abhorrent behaviour and keep people safe in homes and on the streets of Devon and Cornwall.”

An Accelerated Misconduct Hearing chaired by Chief Constable James Vaughan on March 12 found Mines culpable of gross misconduct. He was dismissed without notice and placed on the College of Policing Barred List.

The offence, which happened while Mines was off-duty, was reported to Devon & Cornwall Police in April 2023 with an investigation immediately launched and Mines arrested and suspended. 

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Jen Rose, of Devon & Cornwall Police’s Public Protection Unit, said: “Mines took advantage of the victim’s trust and committed an horrific crime against her. I am pleased that she found the strength to report the offence, in order that we could investigate and work with the CPS to bring him to justice. I hope the sentence goes some way to providing closure for the victim.

"I would urge anyone who is the victim of a similar crime to talk to us. We will believe to you, we will support you, and we will work together with partners to bring perpetrators to justice.”

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said: “Mines has quite rightly been dismissed and jailed for his despicable actions.

“Our thoughts are with the brave victim who came forward to report this crime. She has displayed tremendous courage throughout this investigation and the justice process.

“This was a deeply worrying crime and we recognise the concern it will have caused within our communities.

“We are as committed as ever to reducing sexual violence and predatory behaviour, and to protecting women and girls from harm.

“We are committed to working with the victim in this case as we continue to strive to improve the service we provide to all survivors of rape and sexual abuse. 

“I hope that seeing Mines jailed, regardless of his position, will remind victims of rape and sexual offences that they can talk to us, that they will be believed and they will be treated with the utmost sensitivity.

“All officers and staff are expected to abide by the Code of Ethics and ensure the highest standards of behaviour, both on and off duty.

“Devon & Cornwall Police takes any reports of illegal or inappropriate conduct extremely seriously and we will always take the appropriate action when standards fall below those expected.

“The public can be assured that the majority of our officers display exemplary behaviour every day and work extremely hard to uphold the integrity of policing.”

 If you’ve been affected by anything in this news article, support is available.

 Anyone can report any concerns directly to Devon & Cornwall Police by visiting the Force website, by calling 101, or emailing countercorruptionunit@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk. Corruption can also be reported online at www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/v2/police-corruption

The Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service is run by the independent charity Crimestoppers. Crimestoppers will take reports from the public about individuals working within Devon & Cornwall Police. Information received by Crimestoppers will be passed to the Force’s Counter Corruption Unit, who will assess it.

You can contact the service by calling 0800 085 0000 or via Crimestoppers' website to provide information you have about a serving police officer, staff member or volunteer in the UK.

The Police and Crime Commissioner’s office will continue to monitor and support efforts to tackle sexual violence and misconduct within policing, ensuring that public trust is restored and upheld.

Advice and support is available at:

National Rape Crisis Helpline 0808 802 9999

Victim Care Unit (Devon and Cornwall) 01392 475900

https://victimcare-dc.org/

Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) 0300 3034626