Ex-Met worker's petition after colleague who called rape victim ‘slut' rehired

Powys County Times

5 days ago

A former Metropolitan Police worker is set to present a petition to Downing Street calling for a review of misconduct policies after a call handler she reported for making comments such as calling a rape victim a 'slut' was sacked, but then given his job back after an appeal.
Issy Vine is also taking the force to an employment tribunal after she resigned in December, nine months after her colleague was reinstated.
The 30-year-old started a petition for a review of the misconduct regulations, which now has 40,000 signatures.
She will hand the petition in at Downing Street next month and her employment tribunal is set for January 2027.
Ms Vine, of Wimbledon, south-west London, said her former colleague made the comments to her on the first day they were sat next to each other in April 2023.
She said when they initially sat down they made small talk, then later the colleague was taking a digital report from a woman who said she had been raped.
Ms Vine said: 'The colleague said 'have a look at this report', he covered his mouth and said 'she sounds like a slut'.
'It was obvious he knew it was a wrong thing to say. It was bizarre, I was so taken aback and shocked.'
A couple of hours later, he nudged Ms Vine and said 'I've just taken a call from an immigrant', then showed her his phone and on his notes app had typed 'why don't you f*** off back to your own country', she said.
Ms Vine said at this point she thought perhaps it was a test, that the Met could be getting people to make comments to see if they would report it, as it was 'so bizarre'.
'It was so uncomfortable and awkward,' she said.
And on the same shift, Ms Vine said she dealt with a call in the Clapham area and he said 'oh that's Sarah Everard's turf'.
The next day Ms Vine said she reported the colleague's comments.
A misconduct hearing was held in November 2023 and the call handler was dismissed.
He then appealed against the decision, and in March 2024 the sanction was varied to a written warning and he was reinstated.
Ms Vine said she was told by bosses that the colleague was reinstated as the 'original misconduct panel were too influenced by the Casey Review'.
Ms Vine resigned from the Met in December.
She said the tribunal is 'not about money' but 'holding them accountable'.
Ms Vine called the reinstatement of her colleague 'disgusting' and said she has 'lost trust in any type of authority'.
'I don't understand why the Met hasn't learned that we need to get rid of officers and staff members who show red flags,' she added.
Commander Jason Prins said: 'These discriminatory comments were entirely unacceptable which is why this matter was brought to a misconduct hearing.
'We take the former staff member's concerns about the outcome of the misconduct process extremely seriously and it has been subject to a thorough review.'