The head of Britain’s biggest police force on Wednesday apologized after another officer was convicted of sex crimes, admitting that an average of two to three officers face criminal charges in court every week.
The Metropolitan Police is struggling to restore its reputation after an officer was jailed for life for the kidnapping, rape and murder of a young woman in south London in 2021.
Lax vetting procedures in the London force
Earlier this month another officer admitted 24 rapes and a string of other offences, prompting new questions about lax vetting procedures in the London force.
In the latest case, police constable Hussain Chehab on Tuesday admitted having sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl and possessing indecent images of children.
A court told that Chehab had even served as a school liaison officer during his time in the force.
Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley described the case as “appalling” and admitted the force had dealt with “more than a few bad apples”.
The Met said 1,071 officers themselves had been investigated or were under investigation for domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.
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“Most weeks there are two to three officials who go to court,” he said, adding that the cases were a mix of dishonesty, violence and violence against women and girls.
He apologized for the Chehab case, but warned that more cases would emerge as he carried out reforms to weed out criminals and corruption within the ranks of the Met.
“We are going to be surfacing more,” he told the London Assembly of police and crime committee.
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‘Basic problems in policing’
Last week, campaigners threw 1,071 bad apples, representing the number of officers under investigation, in front of the Met’s New Scotland Yard headquarters.
“We’ve been told time and time again that it’s just one bad apple here, but this is actually a fundamental problem in policing,” said Ruth Davison, head of the domestic abuse charity Refugees, which organized the protest.
Also read: British police officer jailed for life for kidnapping, rape, murder of Sarah Everard
He called for officials facing formal charges to be suspended pending an investigation.
Wayne Couzens, who served in the Met’s armed unit protecting foreign MPs and diplomats, was jailed for life for the kidnapping, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.
Serial rapist David Carrick, who will be sentenced next month, is in the same unit.
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