Scottish police officer Alan Greer has been revealed as a violent serial rapist who preyed on vulnerable women for at least 14 years. His first known victim was a woman he raped in her Glasgow home in 2012 after she called police to report a crime. Uniformed officers attended, took her statement and left, but one officer returned alone hours later and raped her.
Investigation uncovers multiple victims
Police Scotland launched one of its biggest anti-corruption inquiries into Greer late last year after the woman reported the attack. He took his own life in May 2026. Investigators have since uncovered eight further victims, five of whom were sex workers, attacked while Greer was off duty. The force expects more victims to come forward.
A source told the BBC Disclosure investigation: "It feels a bit like this could be Police Scotland's Wayne Couzens moment."
Police response and ongoing probe
Assistant Chief Constable Lynn Ratcliff said: "My thoughts, firstly, are with the victims in this case who have spoken up and reported these allegations, as well as with Alan Greer's family, friends and colleagues who have been deeply affected by these reports and his death." She added that the investigation is one of the largest and most complex ever undertaken by the Anti-Corruption Unit and that significant work is ongoing to identify and support victims.
Ratcliff stated: "Clearly Alan Greer cannot stand trial for these allegations of serious violent sexual offending, including attempted murder, but this investigation is about identifying and supporting potential victims, giving them a voice, and establishing the full circumstances."
How detectives tracked Greer
Greer joined Strathclyde Police in 2009 and transferred to Police Scotland in 2013. He had an unblemished record. Detectives traced the woman's original 2012 emergency call and discovered one of the attending officers had repeatedly accessed her crime file without a legitimate reason, including while on annual leave. Those checks led to Greer.
When they obtained Greer's mobile number and checked police intelligence, they found a 2018 report from a Glasgow sex worker alleging a violent customer had assaulted her. The number had not been linked to an officer at the time, but detectives used the intelligence to monitor Greer. They discovered he had searched police systems for evidence of a complaint linked to another sex worker's phone number.
Officers obtained a warrant and searched his home. On 24 April 2026, detectives arrested Greer in Wishaw. He was released without charge pending further investigation and suspended from duty. On 6 May 2026, officers found him deceased at the same property; there were no suspicious circumstances. The Crown-directed investigation by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner is examining the death.
Had Greer lived, police would have sought attempted murder charges in some cases due to the extreme violence. Three other victims have been identified, including two female police officers secretly photographed inappropriately during training sessions.
