The Metropolitan Police Service is facing serious allegations of a cover-up over its handling of claims involving a serving officer who allegedly ran a grooming gang targeting vulnerable girls in care.
According to the London Evening Standard, the alleged officer was a member of the Met's police force at the time of the alleged abuse, and the force has been accused of failing to take adequate action despite being aware of the allegations since 2019. A whistleblower has come forward, claiming that the Met has deliberately 'brushed under the carpet' the claims against the alleged officer.
The allegations centre on a grooming gang that allegedly used social media to lure its victims, with the group targeting vulnerable girls in care. The Met has launched an investigation into the claims and maintains that it takes all allegations of misconduct seriously. However, the force's handling of this situation is already being questioned by many, who are criticising the delay in taking action.
The controversy comes at a time when the Met is under scrutiny over its handling of the Sarah Everard case, in which a serving police officer was found to have murdered a woman while on duty. The force has promised to review its procedures and take disciplinary action against any officers found to be involved in misconduct.
In an interview with the London Evening Standard, the whistleblower said: 'The Met's failure to act is a clear case of institutional betrayal. It's unacceptable that they knew about this officer's alleged involvement as far back as 2019 and did nothing.'