Report accuses Scotland Yard of being “institutionally racist and homophobic”

As “rotten”, “racist”, “misogynistic” and “homophobic” institutions. That’s how he qualified Scotland Yard, as London’s Metropolitan Police is popularly known, an independent investigation announced on Tuesday. The devastating diagnosis appears in a report prepared by Louise Casey and commissioned in 2021, following the case of Sarah Everard, a young woman kidnapped, raped and killed by Wayne Couzens, one of the police agents.

“The Met is not in a position to ensure that its officers meet the requirements and standards of integrity to wear these uniforms. A clean-up is needed,” Casey said. The 363-page report details disturbing stories of sexual assault on female police officers, which are often covered up or downplayed by superiors. 12% of women in Britain’s main police force said they had been harassed or assaulted at work, and a third stated that she experienced sexism.

If the above is not enough, the report also condemns discriminatory treatment of uniformed who confess other religions. Casey found that a Muslim officer once reported finding bacon in his boots, while a Sikh officer reported having his beard cut off by colleagues. Likewise, racial minorities are said to be the main targets of crime prevention policies.

The investigation also confirmed that the cuts implemented by the government the tories They have “deeply” influenced the police, and the proof of this is that the police budget is 18% smaller than 10 years ago and that 126 police stations have been closed in the last 12 years.

Police Chief Mark Rowley described the findings as “appalling” but accepted them and, while dismissing the term “institutional” as political, promised action to turn the situation around. “I accept that we have racists, misogynists. I accept that, we have systemic failures, management failures, cultural failures. This organization must become decidedly anti-racist, anti-misogynistic, anti-homophobic.“, He said.

For his part, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on whom the body depends, has promised that his determination to transform the body will be “unwavering”, to root out perceived mistakes and restore public confidence.

For her part, Interior Minister Suella Braverman assured that the changes could “take years”. The fight against crime is one of the banners of the Conservatives, who have promised to hire 20,000 new agents.