Dozens of police officers have been accused of violence against woman and girls.

The 48 cases made against Sussex Police officers include complaints from members of the public and more serious instances where serving officers may have committed a criminal offence or ones which would warrant disciplinary action.

The force said the figures have been released as part of its commitment to tackling violence against woman and girls (VAWG) within its ranks.

Chief superintendent Steve Rayland, head of the Sussex Police professional standards department, said: “The majority of officers and staff who work tirelessly every day to protect our communities share the contempt of our communities for those who undermine their position by perpetrating these offences.

“They have no place in Sussex Police.”

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Ch Supt Rayland said the force takes all complaints seriously and encouraged anyone with concerns to get in touch.

“Even in cases where the evidential threshold is not met for criminal proceedings, we pursue individuals and use our robust internal misconduct processes to hold them to account,” he said.

Sussex Police introduced its VAWG framework two years ago, which it says aims to bring “consistently high standards to the police response in this area”.

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“We are also working to build a culture among our teams where officers and staff feel confident to speak out when they have concerns,” said Ch Supt Rayland.

“This is evidenced in the learning we have put into place since the introduction of this framework. We have listened and have acted.

“Sussex Police has also joined forces across England and Wales in checking all officers, staff and volunteers against the police national database to identify any intelligence or allegations that need further investigation.

“The publication today of police performance against the VAWG framework gives forces the opportunity to report openly to see what progress we are making – which has been significant since this data was collected.”

The 48 instances are part of 1,117 unique VAWG cases brought against officers nationwide.

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Superintendent Adele Tucknott, the Sussex Police lead for VAWG, said: “We have worked closely with partners, victims and our communities to improve our response to violence against women and girls in Sussex and have taken many steps this year to protect victims, catch perpetrators and to continue to identify and eradicate officers from our ranks who have, themselves, perpetrated these offences.

“We have carried out extensive work with partners to promote safe spaces for women and girls and have a wide range of schemes to reduce vulnerability in the night-time economy including Night Safety Marshals, dedicated patrols, taxi marshals and other partner services.

“Our dedicated team of domestic abuse investigators – the first of its kind in the country – also provides quick, efficient, and discreet responses for victims of domestic abuse.

“We remain committed to making Sussex a safe place for women and girls and will continue to support the national framework as part of this endeavour.”