Police watchdog launches probe after Zayna Iman ‘left topless in cell for hours’ after ‘cops sexually assaulted her’
A POLICE watchdog has launched a probe after a woman claimed “cops sexually assaulted her” and she was “left topless in a cell for hours”.
Zayna Iman, 38, waived her right to anonymity last month to speak out against Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after a 40-hour ordeal in the city’s main station.
Newly-released video clips showed Ms Iman being carried into a police cell and forced onto a thin mattress.
The alleged attack happened after she was arrested in the early hours of February 5, 2021.
Police officers were seen removing her jeans and cutting off her knickers.
They then took off her top and bra – leaving her alone and topless.
She had been arrested when cops went to her home responding to a welfare call-out about a woman said to be high on cocaine.
Ms Iman was then cuffed when she knocked the glasses off of a female officer’s face.
She previously told Sky News: “Instead of providing an unconscious female with medical attention they thought, ‘I know, let’s take her clothes off instead and leave her there’.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has now revealed they received two referrals from GMP on July 26, 2023, following complaints made by Ms Iman.
IOPC regional director Catherine Bates said: “These very serious allegations will have undoubtedly unsettled the local community and the wider public.
“Their severity raises understandable concern and has the potential to undermine confidence in policing.
“In light of the new information we recently received and the significant media attention generated, as well as a request from GMP, we have taken the decision that an independent investigation is required into the allegations.”
Medical records have suggested Ms Iman suffered sexual injuries during her ordeal.
She added: “I’m openly saying that at some point, during my detention with Greater Manchester Police, I was drugged and sexually assaulted.
“Prove me wrong – give me the footage.”