Eight Met officers found guilty of discriminatory 'gross misconduct'
2 Min Read
Some of the messages involving the officers include mocking a disabled child.
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Police officers patrol in front of Scotland Yardin central London on February 14, 2022 (AFP)
Eight serving and former Metropolitan police officers were found guilty of "gross misconduct" for sending discriminatory and abusive communications, some of which made fun of Katie Price's disabled son.
Between 2016 and 2018, the police, seven males and one woman, were discovered to have posted sexist, racist, and disablist insults in a WhatsApp group named "Secret Squirrel Sh**."
Christopher McKay, the legal chair, defined egregious misconduct as a "breach of the rules of professional behavior that is so serious as to justify dismissal." He ruled that each former and serving officer had committed egregious misconduct in their own communications, as well as by "failing to challenge or report" the behavior of others in the group.
The Met has been engulfed in a series of scandals ranging from racism and misogyny to alleged corruption.
Read more: London Police report paints clear image of disgraceful behavior
The hearing involved former sergeant Luke Thomas, former acting sergeant Luke Allen, former PC Kelsey Buchan, former PC Carlo Francisco, former PC Lee South, PC Glynn Rees, and Officer B, who requested anonymity.
At the five-day hearing at Palestra House in Southwark, central London, Thomas told the panel that he wanted to call his dog Auschwitz, Adolf, Fred, or Ian after "my two favorite child sex killers."
Louise Casey accused the Metropolitan Police of institutional racism and sexism in a devastating report last month.
The results of an exclusive Savanta survey conducted for The Independent showed that only 49% of respondents indicated they trusted the police, and that number dropped to 46% for women.
Earlier this year, hundreds of London police officers were likely to be fired for sexual and domestic abuse offenses, Britain's police chief said on January 17, as he fought to recover public faith after an officer admitted to being a serial rapist.
Read next: Hundreds of UK police face sack over sexual, domestic abuse offenses
