Met cop who 'shared sick WhatsApp meme about luring woman into woods' during Sarah Everard hunt WILL keep job

A MET cop who was accused of sharing a sick WhatsApp meme about Sarah Everard's kidnap and murder will keep his job.

The constable allegedly posted the sick graphic while he was off-duty in March before he was deployed to guard a site as part of the search for Sarah.


The meme was said to contain six images of a uniformed officer abducting a woman.

On March 15 sickened colleagues reported the probationer to bosses and he was immediately moved off the inquiry and placed on restricted duties with no direct involvement with the public.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said: "The image was highly offensive and the officer now has a case to answer for misconduct for potentially breaching standards of professional behaviour for conduct and authority, respect and courtesy.

"The officer will face a misconduct meeting to answer the allegations."

If he is found guilty of breaching professional standards, the copper will face disciplinary action but will not be sacked because he does not face a gross misconduct charge.

The Met constable was one of five police officers from four forces who were hauled into misconduct proceedings over messages shared on social media.

One officer, from the Sussex force, was already cleared of any misconduct.

Another police officer, who is on probation, had a case to answer for "allegedly sharing the graphic and failing to challenge it" will also be subject to a meeting with the police watchdog.

A third police officer was ordered to "undergo reflective practice" on the basis that "while they thought the graphic was inappropriate, rather than reporting it the image was forwarded to two people seeking their advice on how to deal with the situation".

The officers are alleged to have shared messages that were misogynistic, racist and homophobic in nature in a chat with the killer Wayne Couzens, according to The Times.

One officer, who works for Dorset Police, is accused of posting details of an interview given by Couzens in a chat on the Signal messaging platform.

The details could have prevented Sarah Everard's killer from being brought to justice, investigators said.

The six-month investigation by the IOPC also found two other officers had joined the online conversation and made unprofessional remarks about Couzens and endorsed comments for fellow officers.

Couzens, 48, was handed a rare whole-life order in September for the chilling murder of 33-year-old advertising executive Sarah Everard.

At the time a serving Metropolitan Police, Couzens kidnapped Sarah as she walked through Clapham, South London, on March 3.

The former police officer then dumped her body in Woodland in Ashford, Kent, which police found a week after she disappeared.


HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:

Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:

  • Always keep your phone nearby.
  • Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
  • If you are in danger, call 999.
  • Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
  • Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
  • If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
  • Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.

If you are a ­victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support ­service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].

Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available every day from 10am-6pm.

You can also call the freephone 24-hour ­National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

    Source: Read Full Article

    Previous post Over half of Brits gearing up for winter holiday as travel restrictions finally ease
    Next post Strictly: Tilly Ramsay wows with Foxtrot after slamming Steve Allen