Labour MP Jess Phillips has questioned the Metropolitan Police’s handling of the case of missing black woman Owami Davies.
She fears “cultural prejudices” could be behind the London force’s slow reaction to the student nurse’s disappearance – and wants answers.
Owami, 24, left her home in Grays, Essex, on July 4 and was last caught on CCTV in Croydon, south London, on July 7.
But the Met Police did not issue a missing person's appeal until July 26.
One was issued after just three days for Sarah Everard, 33, who. was murdered by Met cop Wayne Couzens.
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Ms Phillips said: “The Met has to make sure it takes every case as seriously as others.
“We have to make sure there aren’t underlying cultural prejudices being used.”
Black Lives Matter activist Delia Mattis said: “Police are less concerned with missing black people than they are white. That has to change.
“Black communities are demanding action, which is being organised.”
Five men were arrested and released on bail after Owami vanished.
This week British Transport Police said she may be “travelling by rail... appearing dazed or confused”.
The Met asked people to “check sheds”. Yesterday the Met declined to comment.
But the Met later issued the following comment in response to claims they had been slow to act.
The Met also wished to point out that they took on the missing person investigation into Owami Davies on 23 July and then issued appeals on 26, 28 and 30 July - and that prior to the 23 July the investigation was led by Essex Police.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: "Investigating missing person reports is one of the most complex areas of policing as each case has a unique set of circumstances which needs to be assessed to devise an appropriate and proportionate response.
"Our efforts to find Owami are being led by a team of detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command who are experts in complex investigations. They are supported by resources from local policing teams and are working night and day to pursue every possible line of enquiry.
"As of Tuesday this week they had recovered 50,000 hours of CCTV and had viewed 10,000 hours as they work to confirm possible sightings and trace Owami’s movements. They continue to carry out additional patrols in the area she was last seen in an effort to identify new leads.
"We have engaged proactively with the media, issuing appeals and sharing CCTV footage and images of Owami as soon as we have confirmed sightings of her. From our first proactive appeal we made clear she was vulnerable and that we were concerned for her wellbeing. We also continue to support her family at what is a very difficult time.
"Any suggestion that the investigation is not being taken seriously and that we are not fully dedicated to finding Owami is not only disappointing, it is simply not supported by the facts."
Yesterday, the Mirror that the police watchdog the Independent Office of Police Conduct have received a referral from the Met Police in relation to Owami Davies case, after it emerged police officers from the force spoke with her in Croydon after she had been reported missing to police by her family.
In a statement, the IOPC said: "We can confirm that we received a referral on August 5 from the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to contact officers had with Owami Davies in Croydon on July 6, after she had been reported missing to Essex Police.
"We are currently assessing the available information to determine what further action may be required."
