Met Police to be sued by whistleblower over 999 call handler after he made an inappropriate remark about Sarah Everard and labelled a rape victim a 'slut'
A woman is suing the Met Police over a 999 call handler who made inappropriate remarks about Sarah Everard and labelled a rape victim a 'slut'.
Issy Vine, 30, is alleging constructive dismissal after the male staff member made a series of comments to her on a shift before following her home.
Ms Vine, from Wimbledon, southwest London, submitted a formal complaint against her colleague which resulted in him being sacked for gross misconduct in November 2023.
But the call handler appealed and was reinstated to the force after bosses ruled the panel had been too 'emotional' after the recent release of a damning report by Baroness Casey that labelled the Met as institutionally racist and misogynistic.
Now Ms Vine is suing the force after alleging she is unable to work with the handler.
The man, who has not been named, is said to have called a rape victim a 'slut' while taking a report from a victim who said she had fallen pregnant and contracted an STI as a result of the attack.
Ms Vine said that after hearing this, her colleague covered his mouth with his hand and told her: 'She sounds like a slut'.
She also told the Telegraph that later that night, while she was on a call, he nudged her and said: 'Can I be unkind? I have just had a call from an immigrant.'
Issy Vine, 30, is alleging constructive dismissal after the male staff member made a series of comments to her on a shift before following her home
Ms Vine, from Wimbledon, southwest London , submitted a formal complaint against her colleague which resulted in him being sacked for gross misconduct in November 2023
She said he then showed her his phone, on which he had written: 'Why don't you f*** off back to your own country?'
In a third incident in the same shift, Ms Vine alleges he described Clapham Common as 'Sarah Everard turf'.
Ms Everard was abducted from Clapham Common by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, before he raped and murdered her.
Ms Vine also told the paper that despite informing her he lived in the opposite direction to her, the colleague followed her onto a bus and the Tube as she made her way home at 11pm.
Although he was initially sacked following Ms Vine's whistleblowing, the staff member was reinstated in March 2024 following a successful appeal that the ruling was 'too harsh'.
Following this Ms Vine lodged a grievance against the Met, but resigned in November after feeling unable to work with him.
She is now seeking damages for constructive dismissal, sexual harassment, whistleblowing detriment and a failure to make reasonable adjustments.
Ms Vine said: 'I always wanted to join the police to help people, because that is what the police do. I want people to feel safe and secure knowing they can depend on an authority with decent people behind it.
Although he was initially sacked following Ms Vine's whistleblowing, the staff member was reinstated in March 2024 following a successful appeal that the ruling was 'too harsh'
'But now I worry whether that is actually the case or whether the very people who are being employed to protect us are part of the problem.
'And even when you try to bring that to light, you are dragged through a flawed and horrendous misconduct process.
'I thought I was part of an organisation that wanted to stamp out this behaviour, not give second chances to it.'
She added she had lost out on a 'life-long career' and now suffers with anxiety.
Commander Jason Prins of the Met told the Telegraph: '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.'
No date has yet been set for the hearing.
