Summary

  • A damning report has found "institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia" within the Metropolitan Police - and suggested the force could be broken up if it fails to improve

  • The home secretary says the force faces a "long road to recovery", while the mayor of London said it was one of the darkest days in the Met's history

  • Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley has accepted the findings and systemic failings, but says he won't use the term "institutional"

  • Officers provided the Casey Review with harrowing testimony about how they were treated by colleagues

  • The report found complaints were "likely to be turned against" ethnic minority officers, with black officers 81% more likely to be in the misconduct system than white colleagues

  • Baroness Doreen Lawrence - the mother of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in 1993 - said the report's findings were "no surprise"

Live Reporting

Edited by Dulcie Lee

  1. Racism, misogyny and homophobia in London’s police

    Discrimination across whole of Met - Baroness Casey

    Casey found “institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia” in the Met, with bullying “widespread”.

    One in five reported “personal experiences” of bullying - and there are several harrowing examples in her report.

    The review also says homophobia is “deep seated”, racism is “routinely ignored, dismissed, or not spoken about”, and female employees “routinely” face sexism and misogyny.

  2. How did the report come about?

    The review into the Metropolitan Police was commissioned in the aftermath of the rape, kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met PC Wayne Couzens in March 2021.

    Baroness Louise Casey was appointed by the Met to lead an independent review of its culture and standards of behaviour.

    The report begins by remembering Sarah Everard and pays tribute to “all those who have suffered as a result of Met officers’ crimes”. It also lists the Met’s handling of a public vigil marking Everard’s murder as one of several high profile incidents over the last two years that have damaged its reputation.

    Those crimes, and those betrayals of trust, led to my appointment to review standards and culture in the Met.

    Baroness Casey

    The Met was heavily criticised for its policing of the unofficial vigil held for Everard in Clapham Common, south London, after a planned socially distanced event was cancelled when organisers were threatened with £10,000 fines for breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules.

    The prosecution of six protesters who attended the vigil dropped was dropped and two judges subsequently ruled that the Met breached the rights of the organisers of the vigil.

    Next, we’re going to run through the key findings from the report. Stay with us as we lay out all the details.

  3. Report finds 'predators' allowed to thrive within Met Police

    James FitzGerald
    Live reporter

    Thanks for joining our live coverage as we digest a damning report into the Metropolitan Police.

    The review by Baroness Casey has found "institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia" within the force - adding that predatory behaviour has been allowed to flourish.

    It contains harrowing testimony from a number of case studies, and makes several recommendations for the Met to improve - or face a potential break-up.

    With me here in London are Malu Cursino and Gem O'Reilly - and we'll be bringing you reaction to the report this morning.