The author of an independent report accuses London police of sexism, racism and homophobia and calls for a “wide-spread reform” of that force, marred by a series of recent scandals.
“We found institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia,” reads the 363-page report, which also reveals abuses against female officers and ethnic minorities.
The investigation was commissioned following the murder of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old London woman who was raped and murdered by a police officer, Wayne Couzens, who arrested her under false pretenses in 2021.
The case shocked British society and exposed the internal problems of the London Metropolitan Police, the largest police force in the country, with more than 34,000 officers and employees, already overshadowed by a series of crimes and sex scandals for years.
Calling for “fundamental change,” the report’s author, Louise Casey, warned of a decline in public trust in the police, particularly among people of ethnic minorities.
The document points out how crimes against women and children are poorly investigated due to lack of funding and agents trained to deal with these cases.
The report describes how evidence in rape cases, such as urine and blood samples, could not be used because they were stored in overloaded or malfunctioning refrigerators.
Furthermore, “despite the presence of some experienced senior officers, they are inexperienced and overworked officers dealing with child protection, rape and serious sexual crimes,” it continues.
“The lack of priority and specialization of public protection has put women and children at greater risk than necessary,” the report warns.
Funding cuts, along with the decision to close local police stations and end community policing, also contribute to the situation.
The Everard case was followed by several other scandals and reports of racism and sexism in the London police.
In December 2021, two officers were arrested for taking and sharing photos of the bodies of two dead Black women after they were dispatched to guard a crime scene.
The ‘Met’ has also been accused of homophobia for failing to apprehend serial killer Stephen Port, a gay man who killed four men over a 15-month period in 2014 and 2015.
Detectives did not initially name the victims, all gay men in their 20s whose bodies were found near Port’s home in east London.
The deaths only began to be investigated as possible homicides after the family of the last victim pressured the police to act.
The public trust crisis worsened when David Carrick, a 48-year-old police officer, pleaded guilty in January to 24 rapes and multiple sexual assaults against 12 women between 2003 and 2020.
Carrick, who was sentenced to life in prison, terrorized victims by abusing his status as a police officer.
The “Met” revealed at the time that it would review 1,633 cases of alleged sexual assault or domestic violence involving more than 1,000 officers and agents over the past decade, but Casey said she “cannot guarantee” there won’t be more criminals like Wayne. Couzens. and David Carrick in the ranks of the London Police.
The report highlights that female police officers are “victims of sexism on a daily basis.” Under pressure, Commissioner Cressida Dick resigned in early 2022 and was replaced by Mark Rowley, who apologized again today, arguing that the report “must lead to meaningful change” and that “if it only leads to criticism and condemnation of the exceptional most agents, then only criminals will benefit.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said “the evidence is overwhelming” and said he hoped all recommendations would be implemented quickly.
Source: TSF
