PC Alan Greer had an apparently unblemished 17-year career in Police Scotland, but behind the uniform he was a violent rapist who attacked at least nine women over 14 years and used hundreds of sex workers – a double life that only came to light after one victim found the courage to report him in late 2025.
The case, which a source close to the investigation described as potentially 'Police Scotland's Wayne Couzens moment', has prompted one of the force's largest ever anti-corruption inquiries. Greer's first known victim was a woman he raped in her Glasgow home in 2012 after she had called the police to report a crime. She reported the attack late last year, triggering the investigation that uncovered a further eight victims, five of whom were sex workers attacked while Greer was off duty. Assistant Chief Constable Lynn Ratcliff, gold commander for the inquiry, said the evidence was 'truly shocking' and confirmed that Greer had 'clearly abused his power'.
“The Alan Greer case exposes how police officers can abuse power to commit violent sexual crimes, and why it matters for UK policing.”
Greer, born in Australia in 1978, joined Strathclyde Police in 2009 before it merged into Police Scotland in 2013. He worked as a uniformed response officer in Glasgow before moving to officer safety training in Coatbridge around 2016, where he taught probationers and experienced officers. When he died by suicide in May 2026 after officers visited his home, he was 47 and had a wife and child. Senior officers insist there were no earlier opportunities to catch him. But the investigation found that in the weeks after the 2012 rape, Greer repeatedly monitored the victim's crime file on the police computer. Anti-corruption detectives also discovered a single piece of intelligence from 2018 linked to his mobile number – but with no name attached.
The case draws parallels with the 2021 murder of Sarah Everard by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, which exposed how officers can use their position to target vulnerable women. In Greer's case, five of the nine known victims were sex workers, a group often less likely to be believed by authorities. The BBC investigation revealed that Greer used hundreds of prostitutes throughout his career, and more victims are expected to come forward.
For UK readers, this case matters because it shows the same pattern of abuse of trust and missed warning signs that have been seen in other forces. The fact that Greer could work in training officers for years while committing serious sexual violence raises questions about vetting, supervision, and the culture within police forces. It also highlights the particular vulnerability of sex workers to predatory officers, and the difficulty victims face in reporting crimes committed by the very people meant to protect them.
Q: How common is police sexual abuse in the UK? Official figures are limited, but high-profile cases like Wayne Couzens and David Carrick (a Met Police officer who admitted dozens of rapes) suggest it is a systemic problem rather than isolated incidents. In 2023, the National Police Chiefs' Council acknowledged that sexual misconduct by officers was a 'priority' issue.
Q: Why did it take so long for Alan Greer to be caught? His first rape victim reported the attack in late 2025, years later. The anti-corruption unit used the crime file number to identify Greer as the attending officer and found he had monitored her file. Earlier, a 2018 intelligence report linked to his phone number existed but had no name attached, meaning it wasn't followed up.
Q: What protections exist for victims of police sexual abuse? Victims can report to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) or their local force's anti-corruption unit. In Scotland, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) oversees complaints. However, advocates say many victims fear not being believed, especially sex workers. The Greer case shows that victims coming forward can trigger wider investigations.
The investigation into Greer's offending continues, with police urging any further victims to come forward. Police Scotland has not announced any wider review of officer conduct or vetting procedures, but the case is likely to fuel calls for stronger safeguards – particularly around intelligence sharing and the monitoring of officers' use of police databases.