Linah Keza: Met Police 'failed to protect' murdered model

Linah Keza made numerous calls to police before she was stabbed to death in front of her two-year-old daughter

Three officers have received final written warnings over their contact with a domestic abuse victim who was murdered days after raising concerns.

Linah Keza, 29, of Leyton, east London, was killed on 31 July 2013 by her ex-partner David Gikawa, who is serving a life sentence in prison.

She made numerous calls to police before she was stabbed to death in front of her two-year-old daughter.

The officers who handled her complaints were found guilty of gross misconduct.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the Metropolitan Police officers "could and should have done more to protect Ms Keza from her abusive partner".

The Met apologised to Ms Keza's family and said "we always look to learn from mistakes made during investigations".

Ms Keza was a former Miss Africa contestant

PCs Adrian Brown and Christopher Moore were accused of failing to take the model's concerns seriously when they visited her home on 29 July 2013.

Ms Keza claimed Gikawa had made threats to kill any man she associated with and continued to visit despite her telling him their relationship was over.

But the constables failed to capture the available evidence, including a recording that she had made of Gikawa threatening her.

Despite having enough information to justify an arrest, they failed to detain him, the IOPC said.

The day before the murder, Sgt Sidney Rogers was also found to have told Gikawa he could visit her home without a police escort. Gikawa had previously been told he should not visit without an officer present.

A Met disciplinary panel found Sgt Rogers told him he could visit the address with his brother but then lied to the IOPC about it.

'Failure to protect'

Ms Keza's brother and sister Susan Asiimwe and Ivan Kigenza said: "We blame no-one but David Gikawa for taking Linah's life. But Linah trusted the police and they let her down.

"Although we are disappointed that no officer will lose their job, after six years of fighting we are grateful that there has been some individual accountability for the failure to protect her."

Commander Catherine Roper, from the Met's Professional Standards team, said: "It is clear that these officers could and should have done more to protect her from her abusive partner.

"We are continually working to improve our response to domestic abuse in all its forms, and are committed to safeguarding all victims and bringing perpetrators to justice."