Katie Price has said she feels "betrayed" ahead of an investigation into Metropolitan Police officers who are accused of making callous jokes about her severely disabled son Harvey.
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, the ex-model also spoke of her rage towards the eight officers who allegedly exchanged cruel jibes about her eldest son in a WhatsApp group. The mum-of-five is also calling for a criminal probe into the accused who are facing a gross misconduct inquiry next week.
The officers’ WhatsApp group is alleged to have included “discriminatory content attacking the protected characteristics of race, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation and sex, in the forms of messages, memes and videos” about the 20 year-old. While Harvey, who has a condition known as Prader Willy Syndrome is unaware of the allegations, Price said it has impacted her other children, the Mirror Reports.
Upon learning of the allegations, the 44 year-old couldn't believe that police officers could behave this way. “These are the people who are supposed to be protecting us, people we are supposed to trust," she said. "It’s pure betrayal. I was in shock at first, then I felt sick, heartbroken and angry.”
Speaking on consequences for those involved, she added: “It’s not enough for these people to just lose their jobs if found guilty. If this has happened to a vulnerable adult like Harvey, it will be happening to others.”
She said: “I’m just glad he doesn’t know this has happened, because if he did, it could do him serious harm. The impact has already ricocheted through our whole family.
My children Jett and Bunny, who are very protective of Harvey, have both been in tears and Princess and Junior are furious about it. They are old enough now that you can’t keep things from them, because they are asked about it at school.”
The gross misconduct hearing into the allegations will take place on Monday in West London. Katie shared the letter she received about the hearing on Instagram yesterday with a note for her followers.
She is unable to attend but hopes to watch it remotely. And she told of her hopes that, if guilty, those involved would face “severe consequences”.
“What they have done is disgusting, and if they are allowed to get away with it, then our system needs a complete overhaul. If they aren’t punished, what’s to stop it happening again to other vulnerable people?
“As far as I’m concerned, no punishment is enough. I want there to be severe consequences for them if guilty. If I was face to face with one of them, I’d want them to meet Harvey and see how innocent he is, to see the person they are said to have targeted.
“For all of the online abuse he has had, no one has ever bullied him to his face because everyone loves him. He is kind and respectful.”
The allegations are another blow to the floundering reputation of a force still reeling from a series of scandals.
On February 7, Met officer David Carrick was convicted of 85 rapes and serious crimes. He remained on the force in spite of repeated warnings he was a danger to women.
Following his conviction new Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley – who has vowed to carry out a forensic clean-up – admitted “two or three” officers a week would face trials for crimes such as violence against women and dishonesty until 2025.
Previously on December 9, Met policemen Gary Bailey and Matthew Forster were sacked after a misconduct hearing into a WhatsApp group in which racist and sexist posts were shared with other PCs.
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