Police are facing claims they covered up allegations of wrongdoing when a female victim of crime was mocked by officers who joked about having sex with her, then ousted a whistleblower who pointed out the misconduct. Thames Valley police officers, who are still employed by the force, made the “sickening” comments as they watched footage from body cameras showing the woman’s groin and chest area exposed. She had been arrested at about 2am after an incident on 14 January in Newbury, Berkshire, with police thinking she was the attacker. They later realised she was most likely the victim, and promptly dropped the case against her. Shortly after being arrested, she suffered a seizure while held in leg restraints in a police van. On 20 January, officers watched the footage on a laptop in a police station, according to testimony obtained by BBC News. One officer is alleged by a whistleblower to have said the woman had “crusty” or “manky” breasts and that her “fanny” was visible, while another officer asked to see her “minge”. Officers started discussing how much they would pay to have sex with her, one saying £500,000 before another said £250. The whistleblower was a student officer called Faisal (not his real name), who told the BBC the officers knew the woman’s identity and watched the intimate footage despite it already being decided she would not be charged. Police handled the matter privately and decided it was misconduct, rather than gross misconduct, meaning all the officers kept their jobs. Faisal says he was shunned by fellow officers, with a sergeant showing him job adverts outside policing. “I was dismissed for reporting misconduct,” he told the broadcaster. “There’s no doubt in my mind.” He added: “The fact I had to weigh up reporting what I saw against keeping my career is a disgrace.” The force has denied that Faisal’s employment was terminated as a result of the whistleblowing. The woman in question told the BBC she felt “betrayed” and that Thames Valley police had kept the misconduct by the officers secret from her. The Independent Office for Police Conduct said the case should have been referred to it, which it now has. Police have vowed to reform after a series of scandals and growing evidence of failing women, and toxic cultures warping policing. Ben Snuggs, deputy chief constable of the force, said: “The behaviour of the officers in this case fell well below the standards we expect from our people, and I thank the former student officer who reported this. Their action allowed us to act immediately to investigate, and subsequently sanction the officers involved. “It’s critical our people feel they can come forward and report, so I must make it very clear the former student officer who reported this to us did not lose their employment as a result. “We took action to support them through the complaint process, and the later ending of their employment is an entirely separate matter.” The force at first decided not to refer the claims to the police watchdog, but did so when the media found out. Snuggs added: “We strive to promote a culture of transparency and welcome greater scrutiny of our actions. We have therefore referred this case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.” The force says the student officer left for reasons unconnected with whistleblowing over the scandal.