More than a thousand ‘bad apples’ have been dumped outside Scotland Yard in protest at a “culture of violent misogyny” in the Met Police.
The stunt by leading domestic violence charity Refuge comes after Met officer David Carrick was unmasked this week as one of Britain’s worst-ever serial rapists.
The charity said it had placed 1,071 rotten apples outside the force’s HQ, saying each apple represented an officer who had been or is under investigation for allegations of violence against women and girls.
Refuge CEO Ruth Davison said: “This is not one bad apple; this is a systemic problem across policing.
“How have these perpetrators of abuse been allowed to enter and remain in positions of power for so long?
“What happens next must change the culture of policing for good. A force which breeds violent misogyny is not a force which can even begin to protect women and girls.”
The apples, which were dumped on Friday morning, are made of plastic and painted to look like they are rotting.
The Met apologised on Monday after it was revealed that Carrick had been brought to the attention of police over nine incidents including allegations of rape, domestic violence and harassment over two decades.
In the wake of the Carrick case, the Met is reviewing any allegations of domestic abuse or sex offences made against its officers in the last ten years.
“This will include a very wide range of allegations from verbal arguments and altercations in a domestic or family setting to the most serious sexual offences,” said a spokesperson.
“It could include cases where no further action was taken and where no criminal allegations were made.
“It is estimated that the review will consider 1,633 cases involving 1,071 officers and staff.”
The spokesperson said the majority of those being reviewed will likely not be subject to restrictions because the review was not a finding of wrongdoing in and of itself.
“There are already a number who are subject to risk management measures and this process is to confirm that these measures are sufficient,” he said.
“In the event that information was to emerge from a review that raised concerns then an officer or member of staff’s status would be reconsidered without delay.
“All new allegations against officers and staff are subject to robust risk management including restrictions and suspension where appropriate.”
It comes after a hotline to report abuse and corruption against Metropolitan Police officers received almost 50 calls on the day Carrick plead guilty.
The Met said the anti-corruption hotline, operated by independent charity Crimestoppers, took 48 calls on Monday after Carrick admitted to 49 charges against a dozen women over the course of 18 years, including 24 counts of rape.
The calls led to 17 intelligence reports that passed to a specialist team in the Met’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command.
That team will assess the information and pass it to detectives to begin an investigation, take steps to safeguard someone at risk or in danger, or record the information to inform future investigations, the Met said in a statement.
The hotline is for members of the public to report Met officers who are corrupt and committing serious crimes or causing harm to others.
It is managed by Crimestoppers, whose staff answer calls and take information to ensure the anonymity of callers.
They take calls from the public about police officers and staff employed by the Met Police, regardless of whether the information relates to them whilst they are on or off duty, online or in person, the Met explained.
Refuge has called upon Home Secretary Suella Braverman to urgently act to stamp out misogyny and abuse in policing, including by immediately suspending officers who have allegations of domestic abuse against them.
Ms Braverman this week announced an internal review of the Met’s dismissal processes to ensure that “that vetting and standards are strengthened”.
