Police officer was violent rapist who attacked women over 14 years
BBC News 2026-07-23 05:12:30
Context: PC Alan Greer, a Police Scotland officer, carried out a series of violent rapes and attempted murders of women over 14 years, using his position to abuse his power. The investigation into his crimes began after a woman reported being raped by Greer in her Glasgow home in 2012, and has since uncovered nine victims, including sex workers and female police officers. Greer's double life was hidden from his family and colleagues, and he took his own life in May after being suspended and under criminal investigation.
Key Facts
- PC Alan Greer, born in Australia in 1978, joined Strathclyde Police in 2009 and had 17 years of apparently unblemished service before his crimes were uncovered, working as a uniformed response officer in Glasgow and later in officer safety training based in Coatbridge.
- Greer's first known victim was a woman he raped in her Glasgow home in 2012 after she had called the police to report being the victim of a crime, and he used his police computer to monitor her crime file for updates in the weeks after the attack.
- Detectives have so far uncovered nine victims of Greer's crimes, including five sex workers who were attacked while he was off duty, and three other victims, including two female police officers he took inappropriate photographs of while they were training.
- Greer used hundreds of prostitutes throughout his police career, and officers have recovered thousands of graphic videos and images from his phones and laptop, revealing the scale of his offending.
- Assistant Chief Constable Lynn Ratcliff, gold commander for the investigation, described what the inquiry had found as "truly shocking" and stated that there were no missed opportunities to spot Greer's offending sooner.