A new independent report published on 21 March on the London police paints a very bleak picture. “The police have failed to protect their employees or citizens from officers who commit acts of domestic violence or abuse their position for sexual purposes,” it can be read. It also exposes the mistreatment of minority officers, and urges widespread reform of the force.
The report, of more than 360 pages, was commissioned after the murder of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old Londoner raped and murdered by a police officer, Wayne Couzens, who arrested her in 2021. The murder traumatized the British people. The Met Police – the largest police force in the country, with more than 43,000 officers and staff – has been embroiled in a series of crimes and sex scandals for years, fueling a serious crisis of public confidence.
The report, produced by Louise Casey, explains that evidence in rape cases (such as urine and blood samples) could not be used because it was stored in overloaded refrigerators – sometimes strapped shut – or was completely damaged. In addition, “despite the presence of some experienced senior officers, child protection, rape and serious sexual offenses are dealt with by inexperienced and overworked staff,” Casey notes.
A British government official working in the field of social care, Casey is now calling for “fundamental change” and says the investigation is “rigorous, tough and uncompromising”. She claims that violence against women and girls “has not been taken seriously in terms of resources and priorities.” She also notes that women in the police are “victims of sexism on a daily basis” and that there is “deep-seated homophobia” at the Met.
The Everard case was followed by other scandals and allegations of racism and sexism in the London police. Under pressure, Chief Commissioner Cressida Dick resigned in early 2022. The crisis of confidence was further exacerbated 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. He terrorized his victims with the uniform.
The Met said then that it would review 1,633 cases of alleged sexual assault or domestic violence involving more than 1,000 officers and staff in the past ten years. Meanwhile, Louise Casey said she “cannot guarantee” there won’t be more criminals like Wayne Couzens and David Carrick in the ranks of the London police.
“I accept your diagnosis of racism, misogyny and homophobia within the organization, as well as systemic, managerial and cultural failures,” London Police Chief Mark Rowley said, apologizing again. “The evidence is overwhelming,” said London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The new report comes almost 25 years after the Macpherson report, commissioned following the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence. The report concluded that “institutional racism” existed in the police, causing shock in the UK. Last October, Louise Casey – who has held several senior positions in the Ministry of the Interior – presented a first report in which she already denounced the laxity of the London police in the face of racism and sexism.
