Yahoo News Murder Of Sarah Everard Will Haunt The Met Police 'For Decades', Priti Patel Says
Conservative MP Priti Patel attends a fringe event on the third day of the annual conference in Birmingham. (Photo: PAUL ELLIS via Getty Images)
The murder of Sarah Everard will haunt the Metropolitan Police Service “for decades”, Priti Patel has said.
The former home secretary said there had been “scandalous and appalling” practices within the country’s biggest police force.
However, she revealed that the new commissioner Sir Mark Rowley is set to make “very big and significant reforms” around culture.
The Met was rocked by a string of scandals during Patel’s time as home secretary.
They include the murder of Everard, 33, in March 2021 by a serving officer, the Charing Cross racism storm in February 2022 and the jailing of two officers in May 2022 for taking photographs of two female murder victims.
Rowley has vowed to hunt down burglars, robbers and sex offenders as part of a major 100-day blitz aimed at restoring public trust. He was appointed following the resignation of Dame Cressida Dick.
Patel said a report into the Met’s culture would probably be released within the next month, adding: “We’ve seen some absolutely scandalous and appalling practice, we really have.
“Misogyny, sexism, the tragedy of Sarah Everard, which quite frankly will haunt the Metropolitan Police for decades it really will.
“Commissioner Rowley is bringing in some fundamental changes, not just on people, but standards.”
Patel said Rowley was rigorously tested during the recruitment process by both her and the mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
“His plan is robust,” she added. “I have worked with him on that alongside with his deputy Dame Lynne Owens who has come in as well.
“They are no nonsense people, they’re going to shake up the mess.
“They’re going to bring in new standards, new reform, but importantly, make sure that the Met gets the basics right which is protecting our citizens and our citizens in London, our great city.”
Patel made the comments at the annual Tory party conference in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Patel resigned as home secretary last month following Liz Truss’s victory in the Conservative leadership contest.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.
