The Toronto Police Service has finally issued a statement following reports that three police officers are being internally investigated for allegedly assaulting a female colleague at an after-hours party at a downtown hotel last month. If that investigation leads to a Police Services Act tribunal, the officers could face dismissal.

“Any allegation of sexual assault against a member of the Service is treated extremely seriously,” police spokesperson Meaghan Grey said in a written statement provided to the Star on Wednesday.

“Whatever resources are necessary are dedicated to such investigations, including subject matter experts from the Professional Standards and Sex Crimes Unit.”

The three male officers, all of whom are based at 51 Division at Front and Parliament Sts., have been suspended with pay for the duration of the investigation. The alleged victim is a parking enforcement officer. No criminal charges have been laid.

“If criminal charges are laid, we will issue a news release,” Grey added. “If Police Services Act charges go before our publicly-accessible Tribunal, these details are made available. In the Tribunal, the maximum penalty available is dismissal.”

The Toronto Police Association (TPA), which represents the accused officers as well as their accuser, has retained lawyer Gary Clewley to defend the three police officers. Clewley has defended police officers in numerous high-profile cases. It is not yet known who will be representing the alleged victim.

“Typically, the TPA does not comment on the provision of counsel to our members,” TPA president Mike McCormack said in a written statement on Wednesday. “But we can assure you that we are working closely with the complainant in this case to provide the resources and support she needs during this time.”

“I would expect that whatever police officer is assigned a hot potato like this realistically is going to be consulting with the Crown attorney about the prospect of pursuing criminal charges,” lawyer Brendan van Niejenhuis says. Van Niejenhuis is currently working as a prosecutor in the police disciplinary hearing of Supt. David (Mark) Fenton.

“There will be cases where the Crown attorney comes back and says, ‘Look: I don’t think there’s a reasonable prospect of conviction,’ bearing in mind that the standard we have to get through here is beyond a reasonable doubt. And that opinion is not necessarily going to determine the remaining question, which is on the balance of probabilities, 51 per cent standard that applies to professional discipline proceedings.”

With files from Star staff