The author of an independent report accuses London police of sexism, racism and homophobia and calls for “widespread 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 exposes abuses against female officers and ethnic minorities.
The investigation was conducted following the murder of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old London woman who was raped and murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens, who arrested her in 2021 under false pretenses.
The case shocked British society and exposed the internal problems of London’s Metropolitan Police, the country’s largest police force, with more than 34,000 officers and employees, overshadowed for years by a string of sex crimes and scandals.
The report’s author, Louise Casey, called for a “fundamental shift” and warned of a decline in public trust in the police, particularly among people from ethnic minorities.
The document points out how crimes against women and children are poorly investigated due to a lack of funding and trained officers 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.
In addition, “despite the presence of some experienced senior officers, they are inexperienced and overworked officers dealing with child protection, rape and serious sex crimes,” it continues.
“The lack of priority and specialization of public protection puts women and children at greater risk than necessary,” the report warns.
Budget cuts, along with the decision to close local police stations and end community policing, also add to the situation.
The Everard case was followed by several other scandals and reports of racism and sexism in the London police force.
In December 2021, two officers were arrested for taking and sharing photos of the bodies of two dead black women after being sent to guard the crime scene.
The ‘Met’ has also been charged with homophobia for failing to apprehend serial killer Stephen Port, a gay man who murdered four men over a 15-month period in 2014 and 2015.
The detectives did not initially name the victims, all gay men in their 20s whose bodies were found near the Port House in east London.
The deaths were only investigated as possible homicides after the family of the latest victim put pressure on police to act.
The public’s crisis of confidence was compounded 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 police status.
The “Met” revealed at the time that 1,633 cases of alleged sexual assault or domestic violence involving more than 1,000 officers and agents would be reviewed over the past decade, but Casey said he “cannot guarantee” that there will not be criminals like Wayne Couzens are more. 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 again apologized today, arguing that the report “must lead to significant change” and that “if only it leads to criticism and condemnation of the exceptional majority of agents, then only criminals benefit”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said “the evidence is overwhelming” and said he hoped the recommendations would all be implemented quickly.
Source: DN
