Responsibilities

---

By Thomas Mackintosh & Lucy Manning, Special CorrespondentBBC News

Women and children have been failed by The Metropolitan Police , with racism, misogyny, and homophobia at The Heart of The Force , a blistering review says.

Baroness Casey says a " boys' club" culture is rife and The Force could be dismantled if it does not improve.

, Painting a picture of a force where rape cases were dropped because freezers containing key evidence broke.

The Met 's Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has apologised to Londoners.

He Said : " It is ghastly. You sit Down and read that report and it generates a whole series of emotions. It generates anger, frustration, embarrassment. "

'Deep-seated homophobia'

Baroness Casey was after The Abduction , rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Police Officer Wayne Couzens, in 2021.

During The Course of her review, another of a series of rapes, sexual offences and torture of women.

The Report begins with a tribute to Sarah Everard's mother and a quote from her victim impact statement, given In Court . It says " those crimes and those betrayals of trust" led to this review.

The 363-page report condemns The Force as institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic. Staff routinely experience sexism, it adds. There are racist officers and staff, and a " deep-seated homophobia" in The organisation.

In London, Baroness Casey says - The idea Ordinary People trust The Police to act honourably and be Held Accountable - is broken.

The Report says leadership teams at The Top of The Met have been in denial for decades, and there has been a systemic failure to root out discriminatory and bullying behaviour. The Force , it says, has failed to protect The Public from officers who abuse women.

Asked if there could be more officers like Couzens and Carrick still within The Force , Baroness Casey said: " I cannot sufficiently assure you that that is not The case. "

Black officers are 81% more likely to be in The misconduct system than white colleagues, The Report adds.

" Attempts to improve diversity in The Met are not succeeding, " Baroness Casey says in The Report . " The Met 's response to discrimination is wholly unsatisfactory.

" Deep in its culture it is uncomfortable talking about racism, misogyny, homophobia and other forms of discrimination. "

The Report also reveals:

Baroness Casey says she accepted The Met had been " disfigured" by what she described as a decade of austerity and funding cuts.

Pressure on The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), on courts and an expanding London population are also citied as " significant challenges" for The Met .

But she says she felt not enough had changed since The 1999 Macpherson report, published after The murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence , which labelled The Met " institutionally racist".

" That's not on Cressida Dick , " Baroness Casey told Reporters - acknowledging Sir Mark's predecessor as The Force 's commissioner,

" That's on every commissioner and a lot of politicians. It is rot when you treat Londoners in a racist fashion, that goes over a long period of time, " she wrote.

In total, The review made 16 recommendations and said changes were needed to " create a radically improved New London Metropolitan Police Service".

Baroness Casey said The scale of required reforms were on a par with The transformation of The Royal Ulster Constabulary, into The PSNI, in 2001.

She Said The Specialist Parliamentary Protection Diplomatic Command Department - The Team Couzens had been a member of - should be disbanded in its current forms, and firearms officers re-vetted.

The Report said a dedicated women's protection service needed to be Set Up , and that there should be a fundamental reset of stop and search in London.

Baroness Casey concluded: " If sufficient progress is not being made at The points of further review, more radical structural Options - Such as dividing up The Met into national, specialist and London Responsibilities - should be considered. "

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said it was " clear that there have been serious failures of culture and leadership in The Metropolitan Police ". She says Sir Mark Rowley had been working " to restore confidence in policing in London".

Sir Mark said he felt A Level of pride that his officers spoke out: " It is our men and women, who care about policing in London, who have given most of The Evidence of that report to Baroness Casey, which is testament to their commitment. "

He added: " To be part of an organisation that has let individuals Down so badly is deeply upsetting. And that's where part of My Own motivation comes from.

" Because we have to write this wrong. We have to deal with these cultural problems. And The vast majority of my colleagues are up for this. "

Related Topics

Source of news: bbc.com