Institutional sexism in the Metropolitan Police

Last updated

Institutional sexism in the Metropolitan Police of Greater London has been reported since female officers first joined in 1919, with particular attention given to the issue since 2021.

2021-present

In 2021, the Metropolitan Police Service attracted media coverage for approaches to policing in high-profile cases such as the murder of Sarah Everard, the murders of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry and the handling of internal sexual assault allegations. [1] Women's rights groups have called for an enquiry into misogyny in the force. [2]

In March 2021, Wayne Couzens, a serving Metropolitan Police officer with the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection unit, was arrested and later charged with the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard. [3] Couzens was later sentenced to life without the possibility of release. [4] There were renewed calls for high level resignations following public outcry over the Met's response to the Everard case. [5] In March 2022, two serving Met police constables and one ex-officer were charged with sharing offensive messages with Wayne Couzens. [6]

At the beginning of February 2022, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) reported on the conduct of officers at the Charing Cross police station. Their investigation found evidence of highly sexualized, violent and discriminatory messages sent as part of WhatsApp group involving 17 officers. [7] The regional director of the IOPC, Sal Naseem, said: "The behaviour we uncovered was disgraceful and fell well below the standards expected of the officers involved. While these officers predominantly worked in teams in Westminster, which have since been disbanded, we know from other recent cases that these issues are not isolated or historic." [8]

On 17 January 2023, David Carrick, a Met Police Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection officer, was dismissed from the Metropolitan Police after pleading guilty to 49 offences, including numerous cases of rape. He had been the subject of allegations of abuse of women over a period of twenty years. [9] The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, announced that there would be an internal review of the Met's dismissal processes, and Mark Rowley said that the histories and records of all officers and staff would be rechecked to see whether any previous offending had been missed. [9] In July 2023 it was announced that six of Carrick’s victims are intending to sue the Metropolitan Police for breaching their human rights by failing to investigate properly. [10] On 20 July 2023 the Independent Office for Police Conduct announced that it was starting four investigations into the way the Metropolitan Police had handled complaints against Carrick. [11]

In November 2024, it was found that the Metropolitan Police were told about allegations of sexual assault against Mohamed Al-Fayed, the late businessman and owner of Harrods, ten years earlier than it had acknowledged. [12] The Met had claimed that it first received such allegations in 2005. [13] However, in 1995, the Met had received such allegations from Samantha Ramsay, who is now deceased. The BBC reported that "Samantha’s family say the Met dismissed her claims. They believe that multiple women could have been saved from sexual abuse if the force had acted." The Met claimed that there was no history of Samantha's allegations on their computer system, "but that in 1995 some reports were paper-based and might not have been transferred." Ramsay's sister, Emma, recalled the police as having said at the time: “We’ve added it to a pile of other female names that we’ve got that have made the same complaint against Mohamed Al Fayed.” [14] On 8 November, the Independent Office for Police Conduct announced that they would be investigating the Met over their handling of allegations of sexual misconduct related to the case. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohamed Al-Fayed</span> Egyptian businessman (1929–2023)

Mohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed was an Egyptian businessman whose residence and primary business interests were in the United Kingdom from the mid-1960s. His business interests included ownership of the Hôtel Ritz Paris, Harrods department store and Fulham Football Club. At the time of his death in 2023, Forbes estimated his wealth at US$2 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Police</span> Territorial police force of Greater London

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police, is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and crime prevention within Greater London. In addition, it is responsible for specialised tasks throughout the United Kingdom, such as dealing with counter-terrorism throughout the UK, and the protection of certain individuals, including the monarch, royal family, governmental officials, and other designated figures. Commonly referred to as the Met, it is also referred to as Scotland Yard or the Yard, after the location of its original headquarters in Great Scotland Yard, Whitehall in the 19th century. The Met is presently headquartered at New Scotland Yard, on the Victoria Embankment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HM Prison Belmarsh</span> Mens prison in Thamesmead, London, England

His Majesty's Prison Belmarsh is a Category A men's prison in Thamesmead, southeast London, England. The prison is used for high-profile cases, particularly those concerning national security. Within the grounds is the High Security Unit (HSU), which consists of 48 single cells. It is run by His Majesty's Prison Service. The prison has been called "Britain's Guantanamo Bay" due to the long-term detention of terrorism suspects without charge. Considered the toughest prison in the UK, Belmarsh is also notoriously known as "Hellmarsh" due to the high number of physical and authority abuses reported by both the prison's inmates, and by human rights activists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection</span> British specialist policing unit in London

Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP) is a branch of the Protection Command within the Specialist Operations directorate of London's Metropolitan Police Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cressida Dick</span> Former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in London (born 1960)

Dame Cressida Rose Dick is a British former police officer who served as Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from 2017 to 2022. She is both the first female and the first openly homosexual officer to lead the Metropolitan Police Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Fulford</span> British judge (born 1953)

Sir Adrian Bruce Fulford is a retired Lord Justice of Appeal. From 2017 to 2019, he was the first Investigatory Powers Commissioner, and was the Vice-President of the Court of Appeal in 2019, succeeding Lady Justice Hallett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen House</span> British police officer (born 1957)

Sir Stephen House is a Scottish police officer who served as Acting Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in 2022. After beginning his career at Sussex Police in 1981, House held positions in Northamptonshire Police and West Yorkshire Police, then became Assistant Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police in 1998. In 2001, he joined the Metropolitan Police as a Deputy Assistant Commissioner, remaining there until 2007, when he was appointed Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police.

The history of the Metropolitan Police in London is long and complex, with many different events taking place between its inception in 1829 and the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Daniel Morgan</span> 1987 unsolved murder in London

Daniel John Morgan was a British private investigator who was murdered with an axe in a pub car park in Sydenham, London, in 1987. Despite several Metropolitan Police investigations, arrests, and trial, the crime remains unsolved. An independent review into the handling of the investigation of Morgan's killing was published in 2021; it found that the Met Police had "a form of institutional corruption" which had concealed or denied failings in the case.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bianca Williams</span> British athlete (born 1993)

Bianca Williams is a British athlete. She won the silver medal in the women's 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Midland</span> Metropolitan Police investigation into historic child abuse claims (2014–2016)

Operation Midland was a criminal investigation which the London Metropolitan Police carried out between November 2014 and March 2016 in response to false allegations of historic child abuse made by Carl Beech.

Stephen John Port is a British serial killer and serial rapist. He has been convicted of the murder of four young men and multiple rapes and sexual assaults of a number of others. Port received a sentence of life imprisonment with a whole life order on 25 November 2016.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is a non-departmental public body in England and Wales which, since 8 January 2018, is responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against police forces in England and Wales. Most allegations of police misconduct are investigated by police forces' own professional standards departments. However the IOPC does conduct independent investigations of serious allegations of misconduct or criminal offences by police officers and other law enforcement officers. 'Mandatory' referrals are usually made to the IOPC should a person die or sustain serious injuries following police contact. Additionally, a force's professional standards department may also make a 'voluntary' referral – in which a force will ask the IOPC to consider if they wish to investigate independently, supervise a force professional standards investigation, or decline and refer the investigation back to the force to investigate without any IOPC input. The office received over 4300 referrals from police forces and completed about 700 investigations in the 2019/20 year.

On the evening of 3 March 2021, 33-year-old Sarah Everard was kidnapped in South London, England, as she was walking home to the Brixton Hill area from a friend's house near Clapham Common. She was stopped by off-duty Metropolitan Police constable Wayne Couzens, who identified himself as a police officer, handcuffed her, and placed her in his car before transporting her to Kent. Couzens subsequently raped and strangled Everard, before burning her body and disposing of her remains in a pond in woodland.

Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were two sisters who were murdered in London, England in 2020. They were stabbed to death by Danyal Hussein in Fryent Country Park, Kingsbury, on 6 June 2020. The reporting and investigation of their killings provoked widespread discussion of women's safety, police misconduct and systemic racism. The incident also provoked discussion of the ease of online access to violent cultist and political material, which influenced and motivated the killer.

David Carrick is an English serial rapist and former police officer who worked for the Metropolitan Police. He joined the police force in 2001 and worked as an armed officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP) branch from 2009 until his suspension and subsequent sacking from his position in 2021. An independent public inquiry into the case is being chaired by Lady Elish Angiolini.

A history of institutional racism, dating back to at least the 1970s, has been acknowledged by the Metropolitan Police Service. Statistics on stop and search show a disproportionate number of such searches targeting those from ethnic minorities. Criticism is also levelled at the use of stop and search on children, particularly children from black and ethnic minority backgrounds. In response, the Metropolitan Police has made efforts to increase diversity in recruitment and address racial bias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angiolini Inquiry</span>

On 22 November 2021, Lady Elish Angiolini KC was commissioned by then Home Secretary, Priti Patel, to conduct an independent inquiry as to how off-duty Metropolitan Police officer, Wayne Couzens, had the ability to kidnap, rape, and murder Sarah Everard, a member of the public. One aim of the inquiry was to ensure Everard's family, as well as the public, received a full explanation as to the causes and factors contributing to her murder.

Adrian Trevor Moore is a former police officer in Western Australia, convicted in October 2022 of drugging and sexually abusing at least 30 women between 2007 and 2019, both during and after his police employment.

References

  1. ↑ "Met officer investigated over rape allegations". BBC News. 1 April 2021. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  2. ↑ Rights groups call for statutory inquiry into misogyny in the Met Archived 25 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian
  3. ↑ "Sarah Everard: Met PC Wayne Couzens charged with murder". BBC News. 13 March 2021. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens given whole-life sentence 30 September 2021". BBC News. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  5. ↑ "How can Cressida Dick keep her job as Metropolitan Police Commissioner?". New Statesman. 2021-10-01. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  6. ↑ "Wayne Couzens: Met PCs deny sharing offensive messages with killer 16 March 2022". BBC News. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Met Police: Watchdog slams misogyny and bullying within ranks". BBC News. 1 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Davis, Margaret (1 February 2022). "Racist, sexist and homophobic messages exchanged by Met Police officers exposed". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  9. 1 2 Syal, Rajeev (17 January 2023). "Braverman launches review of Met's dismissal processes after Carrick case". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  10. ↑ Jessup, Sonja (11 July 2023). "David Carrick: Victims of serial rapist officer to sue Met Police". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Siddique, Haroon (20 July 2023). "Four investigations launched into Met's handling of David Carrick allegations". theguardian.com. Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  12. ↑ Price, Hannah; De Simone, Daniel (1 November 2024). "Met told about Al Fayed a decade earlier than stated" . Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  13. ↑ De Simone, Daniel (19 October 2024). "Met only sought Al Fayed charges for two victims". BBC News. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  14. ↑ Price, Hannah; De Simone, Daniel (1 November 2024). "Met told about Al Fayed a decade earlier than stated" . Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  15. ↑ "Watchdog to review police handling of Al Fayed abuse claims". 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.