Two Metropolitan Police officers who swapped highly offensive messages with murderer Wayne Couzens are still on duty, it emerged last night.
The constables are alleged to have been part of a WhatsApp group involving officers from three forces who fell under investigation after Couzens's phone was seized following his arrest.
It is claimed they have been left on duty even after being placed under criminal investigation for allegedly exchanging sexist and racist messages with the sexual predator.
Two Metropolitan Police officers who swapped highly offensive messages with murderer Wayne Couzens are still on duty
The revelation will raise fresh concerns about a culture of misogyny in the force and the adequacy of officer vetting procedures.
It also raises questions about further missed opportunities to investigate Couzens earlier.
Yesterday Sue Fish, a former chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police, criticised the Met's decision not to suspend the officers under investigation. 'That beggars belief. That clearly demonstrates the Met does not get it... does not get the seriousness,' she told the Guardian.
The Met's decision contrasts with the actions of other forces who have suspended officers while the investigation continues.
According to the police watchdog, the alleged 'vile' messages denigrating women started in March 2019, just months after Couzens joined Scotland Yard in September 2018.
Met Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave has admitted that vetting procedures were not followed properly when Couzens joined.
Officers failing to carry out a check on his vehicle which would have linked the killer to an indecent exposure report in 2015.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is looking at dozens of messages exchanged between the group of officers including constables from the Civil Nuclear and Norfolk constabularies between March and October 2019.
Sue Fish, a former chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police, criticised the Met's decision not to suspend the officers under investigation
At the time, Couzens was working in Bromley, south-east London, for Safer Neighbourhood Teams before he transferred to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command in 2020.
Yesterday it emerged the IOPC has decided not to investigate Couzens, instead concentrating on serving officers accused of sending discriminatory and inappropriate messages and failing to challenge Couzens.
A spokesman for the IOPC said: 'Due to the criminal charges being faced and subsequent guilty pleas by Wayne Couzens for the murder, kidnap and rape of Sarah Everard, it was not thought to be appropriate to investigate him as a subject in a conduct investigation.'
Yesterday the Met said two constables had been placed on restricted duties. A third former Met officer is also under investigation.
Yesterday Lord Paddick, a former Met deputy assistant commissioner and now the Lib Dems' home affairs spokesman in the House of Lords, said there needs to be a 'cultural change' in the Met.
'I wouldn't go so far as to call it institutional misogyny, but I would describe it as widespread sexism within the force, and we need police leaders to acknowledge prejudice within the police service,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Norfolk Constabulary said: 'We can confirm the officer has been suspended from duty while the allegations are under investigation.'
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary said: 'The officer in question was suspended from duty in August as soon as we were informed of the IOPC investigation.'
Ex-Met chief's bombshell: As it is revealed Wayne Couzens was named as McDonald's flasher THREE DAYS BEFORE Sarah Everard's murder but police didn't spot he was a cop - now Cressida Dick MUST be accountableWayne Couzens was named as a suspect in a sex offence 72 hours before he killed Sarah Everard, it emerged for the first time last night.
The revelation came as
