Met Police is forced to apologise after officers joked about 'raping'

Met Police is forced to apologise after officers joked about ‘raping and ‘hate-f**king’ female colleagues and killing black children’ in vile WhatsApp and Facebook messages, watchdog finds

  • Messages found during probes into behaviour at Charing Cross police station 
  • IOPC said sickening behaviour ‘not isolated’ or due to just a few ‘bad apples’ 
  • Horrific revelations are latest scandal to hit Met under scandal-hit commissioner

Police officers exchanged highly offensive racist, sexist and homophobic messages with claims that it was ‘banter’ becoming a cover for bullying and harassment, a watchdog has found.

Details of messages from WhatsApp groups and a Facebook chat group in which a male officer told a woman ‘I would happily rape you’ and ‘if I was single I would happily chloroform you’ were detailed in a shocking report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct into now-disbanded Metropolitan Police teams.

Homophobic language was also used including one entry that said ‘f*** you bender’, and a number of racist messages including references to African children, Somali people and Auschwitz that are too offensive to print.

The messages were uncovered as part of nine linked investigations into officers based in Westminster, mostly at Charing Cross police station, that began in March 2018 after allegations that an officer had sex with a drunk person at a police station. 

The damaging revelations  – some of which concern officers serving in a ‘vice squad’ – are just the latest scandal to hit crisis-prone Met commissioner Cressida Dick, who is currently under additional pressure for her force’s mishandling of the Partygate probe. 

Of the 14 officers investigated, two were dismissed for gross misconduct and put on the barred list, preventing future employment with the police, while another two resigned and several others faced disciplinary action, the IOPC said. 

The messages were uncovered as part of nine linked investigations into officers based in Westminster, mostly at Charing Cross police station

The damaging revelations are just the latest scandal to hit the crisis-prone Met during the tenure of its current commissioner, Cressida Dick

IOPC regional director 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.

‘The learning report we are publishing today is shocking and contains language which is offensive – and some may find it upsetting. However, we felt it was important to provide the context for the public, the Met and other forces, for why such hard-hitting recommendations are necessary.’

While the IOPC acknowledged the work that the Met has done since to improve, Mr Naseem said more needs to be done.

He said: ‘Our investigation showed the officers’ use of ‘banter’ became a cover for bullying and harassment. Colleagues were afraid to speak out about these behaviours for fear of being ostracised, demeaned or told to get another job.

‘We are grateful to those officers who were brave enough to speak to us about the cultural issues that existed within these teams, realising that in doing so they risked further bullying. This took courage. Hopefully our learning report and recommendations will give officers the confidence to come forward in the knowledge that people are listening and that changes will be made.

‘The relationship between the police and the public is critical to maintaining the principle of policing by consent. The concerns about behaviour and culture addressed in our report, if allowed to continue and go unchallenged, risked causing serious damage to that relationship.’

Fourteen officers were investigated by the IOPC, and two were found to have a case to answer for gross misconduct – one of whom resigned and one was sacked.

Misconduct was proven against another two, one of whom received a written warning, while another four had internal measures to improve their performance.

Deputy assistant commissioner Bas Javid said: ‘I am angry and disappointed to see officers involved in sharing sexist, racist and discriminatory messages. It’s clear we have a lot of work to do to ensure bullying and discrimination does not exist in any part of the Met.

‘The actions of these officers between 2016 and 2018 were unacceptable, unprofessional, disrespectful and deeply offensive. I read their messages with increasing disgust and shame.

‘We haven’t waited for the IOPC’s report to take action – a number of officers have been subject to misconduct proceedings, including one officer dismissed and one who would have been dismissed had he not already resigned. Every Met employee has also been spoken to about responsible use of social media.

‘We recognise that there is need for real change in the Met and we are committed to creating an environment that is even more intolerant to those who do not uphold the high values and standards expected of us.’

A review of culture and standards in the Met is currently being carried out by Baroness Casey, in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘I am utterly disgusted by the behaviour outlined in this IOPC report, which details the shocking evidence of discrimination, misogyny, harassment and bullying by police officers. The conduct of these officers was totally unacceptable and what has been revealed by these investigations will only further damage public trust and confidence in the police.

‘It is right that the team concerned has been disbanded and the police officers found to be involved have been dismissed, disciplined or have left the police. Anyone found to be responsible for sexism, racism, misogyny, Islamophobia, antisemitism, bullying or harassment does not deserve to wear the Met uniform and must be rooted out.’

‘I’d happily rape you’: Vile WhatsApp exchanges between officers  

WhatsApp conversation between two police officers:

o Officer 1: ‘And my bird won’t stop taking the p***. Swear to got [sic] I’m going to smack her’

o Officer 2: ‘Slap her one… say you didn’t’

o Officer 1: ‘I`ll f****** do it. She`s f***** off home.’

A separate WhatsApp conversation between two police officers:

o Officer 1: ‘I f****** need to take my bird out, won’t see her until next Saturday. Then I have to work. Promised to take her out the Friday after. Making it up to her from when I backhanded her’

o Officer 2: ‘Grab her by the p****’

o Officer 1: ‘You ever slapped your missus?’

o Officer 1: ‘It makes them love you more. Seriously since I did that she won’t leave me alone. Now I know why these daft c**** are getting murdered by their s****** boyfriends. Knock a bird about and she will love you. Human nature. They are biologically programmed to like that s***.’

o Officer 2: ‘Lmao’

o Officer 1: ‘I’m right though’

A further WhatsApp conversation between two police officers:

o Officer 1: ‘I had that massive fight with my bird because she found out I’d been out on the piss with this girl who’s a high class hooker a couple of weeks ago Hahahah’

o Officer 1: ‘Make friends with high class hookers’

o Officer 2: ‘I had one in Watford from adult work. Used to f*** her all the time’

o Officer 1: ‘Yes! Hahaha’

o Officer 2: ‘used just hang out and blast her on the sly’

o Officer 2: ‘when I was on roids and needed it every hour’

Messages sent by a male officer to a female officer:

o ‘I would happily rape you’

o ‘if I was single I would actually hate f*** you’

o ‘if I was single I would happily chloroform you’

Further messages sent about women, include:

o ‘Getting a woman in to bed is like spreading butter. It can be done with a bit of effort using a credit card, but it’s quicker and easier just to use a knife.’

o ‘F*** knows what she’s on about I just wanna sp*** on her’ (sent by an officer in reference to another police officer’s girlfriend).

o ‘Mate my Mrs is driving me mad – come and shag a baby into her it might shut her up bro .’ 

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