Lawyers who represent the families of four young gay men murdered by serial killer Stephen Port have called upon Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to launch a criminal investigation into new allegations against the force – including a picture of one of the victims being shared amongst officers on a WhatsApp group.
Media reports circulated last weekend quoting an unnamed former Met Police officer who claims to have been based at the Barking Station which investigated the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor between 2014 and 2015.
Among general allegations of homophobia in the rank and file of the force, he alleged an officer had taken a picture of Daniel, lying wrapped in a sheet in a graveyard, which was then circulated to a WhatsApp group of officers called ‘Hunters and Gatherers’.
Solicitor Neil Hudgell, of Hudgell Solicitors, represents the families of all four young men, and said: “These fresh allegations about the alleged behaviour of Metropolitan Police officers involved in the investigations into the deaths of Port’s victims are hugely distressing and have repulsed the families of the four young men he killed.
“On the back of the recent report from Baroness Casey, which highlighted not only institutional homophobia within the force but also its own reluctance to accept its prevalence, this allegation of officers sharing a picture of Daniel’s body on a messaging platform is particularly disturbing.
“This is a matter which cannot be ignored and must be fully investigated by the force as a potential crime itself.
“I have written to the Met Commissioner to ask that a full police investigation be launched into what appear to be acts of criminality. I have also invited him to refer the force to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) for their consideration as part of the ongoing reinvestigation of the forces initial handling of this matter.”
Review found institutional racism, sexism and homophobia
Baroness Casey’s review, which investigated the standards of behaviour and internal culture at the force, institutional racism, sexism and homophobia in the Met.
Before, during and following an inquest into their deaths of Port’s four victims in 2021, the families, friend, and members of the LGBTQ+ community stated their belief that homophobia, discrimination and assumptions about lifestyles played a part in the failings in the initial investigations.
A jury subsequently found that ‘fundamental failings’ – including failing to carry out basic lines of enquiry and not sending evidence for forensic testing – by the Met ‘probably’ contributed to the deaths.
Last week Baroness Casey raised her concerns over the lack evidence demonstrating a culture of openness at the Met ‘to internally interrogate and assess the role prejudice’. She said this raised concerns over its ‘ability to tackle homophobia where it exists.’
Mr Hudgell has supported the families of Port’s victims in calling for a Public Inquiry into the force’s failings.
“Given Baroness Casey’s findings which senior figures are called to answer questions,” he said.
“The Government must step in and oversee proper change if public faith in this force is ever to be restored.”