Serving Met Police support officer charged with sexually touching female colleague

A serving Met Police support officer charged with sexual assault by touching a female colleague has appeared in court.

Edward Oniba, who works as a police community support officer (PCSO), in the North West Basic Command Unit (BCU), appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, May 6.

He pleaded not guilty, meaning he will face a jury trial at a crown court.

PCSO Oniba was bailed and will next appear at Harrow Crown Court on Monday, June 6.

It follows an incident that allegedly occurred in October 2020 involving a female colleague.

He was on duty at the time and was charged via post on Tuesday, April 19.

A spokesperson for the Met said: “The trust of the public is fundamental to our core purpose of keeping London safe.

“It is critical and right that all Londoners can trust our officers, staff and volunteers whenever they encounter them.

“We cannot and are not waiting for the findings of ongoing inquiries to begin rebuilding the public’s trust and confidence that police officers will protect and respect them.

“We have already taken a number of significant steps to start real change across the organisation.

“These include two independent reviews, an examination of all current investigations of sexual and domestic abuse allegations against Met employees and an increase in the number of investigators in our professional standards directorate.

“The Met is driven by the values of professionalism, integrity, courage and compassion. We only want the best and will always act when our employees fall below the exemplary standards we and the public expect.”

The Met said PCSO Oniba has not been suspended.