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A BBC Panorama probe has exposed shocking grounds of misogyny, racism, and unlawful unit among serving London’s Metropolitan Police officers, raising caller questions astir the force’s promises to betterment aft the execution of Sarah Everard.
In a footage secretly recorded by undercover newsman Rory Bibb, officers astatine Charing Cross constabulary station, already the taxable of a erstwhile watchdog probe, were filmed joking astir rape, making racist remarks astir immigrants and Muslims, and boasting astir convulsive assaults connected suspects.
One serviceman admitted that specified attitudes had not disappeared from the Met but had simply gone underground. “Someone caller joins, boom, disguise on. You’ve got to fig them out,” helium told the reporter.
Among those caught connected movie was Sgt Joe McIlvenny, a custody sergeant with astir 2 decades of service. He was repeatedly recorded making misogynistic comments to colleagues, including crude remarks astir women’s bodies and his enactment life.
More seriously, erstwhile challenged by a pistillate workfellow astir releasing connected bail a antheral accused of raping and kicking his large girlfriend, McIlvenny dismissed her concerns: “That’s what she says.”
Former Nottinghamshire Police main constable Sue Fish, who reviewed the footage, described his behaviour arsenic “completely inappropriate, precise misogynistic.” She warned: “As a pistillate arsenic good arsenic a erstwhile constabulary officer, individuals similar him person the powerfulness to marque these sorts of decisions astir my information oregon different women’s safety, and that is terrifying.”
Panorama besides learned McIlvenny had been investigated earlier successful 2025 aft allegedly telling an Asian pistillate successful custody that she should enactment successful the “massage business.” Despite this, helium was reinstated earlier Panorama’s findings were shared with the Met.
Officers were besides recorded bragging astir utilizing unlawful unit connected detainees.
PC Martin Borg described however his colleague, Sgt Steve Stamp, nicknamed “Stampy”, stomped connected a detainee’s limb portion helium was being restrained. Borg laughed arsenic helium recalled offering to falsify a connection to support his colleague, “Absolutely Sarge… I’ll enactment that successful the MG11 if you like.”
Reviewing the footage, Ms Fish said specified behaviour could magnitude to “perverting the people of justness oregon conspiracy to pervert the people of justice.”
Another serviceman boasted of snapping tendons successful suspects’ fingers during fingerprinting, portion 1 admitted to striking a detainee “five oregon six times” successful retaliation aft being elbowed. “There’s decidedly a small spot of reddish mist there,” helium said.
In off-duty pub conversations, officers made overtly racist and anti-Muslim remarks. Borg described Muslims arsenic a “serious problem,” portion PC Phil Neilson suggested an overstayer should beryllium shot, “Fucking either enactment a slug done his caput oregon deport him… and the ones that shag, rape women, you’d bash the cock and fto them bleed out.”
Fish condemned Neilson arsenic a “violent racist” and added, “I person perfectly nary assurance successful him arsenic a constabulary serviceman whatsoever. To beryllium frank, not overmuch arsenic a quality being.”
PC Brian Sharkey, 1 of the longest-serving officers filmed, besides made airy of intersexual battle allegations, remarking: “If you spell down for a intersexual assault, you mightiness arsenic good spell down for rape,” earlier rapidly backtracking that it was a joke.
After receiving a elaborate dossier of allegations from the BBC, the Metropolitan Police suspended 8 officers and 1 unit member, and removed 2 others from frontline duties.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described the behaviour arsenic “disgraceful, wholly unacceptable and contrary to the values and standards of the Met.” He confirmed the Charing Cross custody squad had been dismantled and that much than 1,400 officers and unit had been dismissed oregon forced retired since 2022, “the biggest clear-out successful the force’s history.”
But Rowley conceded, “Much much needs to beryllium done to tackle the individuals and cliques whose appalling behaviour continues to fto down their colleagues and Londoners. Our resoluteness to identify, face and get escaped of them is absolute.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has besides launched an investigation, with manager Amanda Rowe saying, “We are treating this substance highly seriously.”
The revelations reignite the statement implicit organization failings wrong Britain’s largest constabulary force. Following Sarah Everard’s 2021 execution by a serving officer, a reappraisal led by Baroness Louise Casey concluded the Met was institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic, findings the force...
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