Female Met Police staff at war with federation over legal battle to get ‘rape’ officer back in uniform

Scotland Yard’s female officers have slammed their own union for “championing” a judicial review brought by a policeman accused of rape. They are furious that if Sergeant Lino Di Maria wins his High Court case the force will be powerless to sack around 300 so-called bad apples. In an open letter to Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the Network of Women group - which fights misogyny at work - blasted the Metropolitan Police Federation’s “decision to champion this particular case” which will raise “very serious ethical and governance concerns”.

Co-chairs Inspector Jennifer Sharpling and Alicia Patel questioned whether members were consulted before having their fees used to support Sgt Di Maria, who faced accusations from his own colleagues. “lt is our collective view that Di Maria’s dismissal would not only be justified but essential,” they wrote. The decision to challenge his sacking “makes it difficult” for many to have trust in a staff organisation that has a “glaring and unacceptable” lack of diversity, particularly at senior levels. If the union was more representative, they say, it wouldn’t help Sgt Di Maria get back in uniform.

The letter continues: “These are concerns that have dented the confidence of a significant number of officers, in particular women in policing, who need to know their representative body has learned the lessons of recent years and is committed to the change required. “Further, we would like to understand what the Federation is doing to support women in policing who have shown the courage and determination to step forward and stand up to challenge wrongdoing.

“Too often they are still made to feel like it is they who are in the wrong for speaking up. “They are left unsupported, or worse still, subjected to a weaponisation of the complaints and grievance system in an effort to undermine their experience or force them into silence.”. Last month, Sir Mark called the Federation’s attempt to win back the job of an officer with a “ghastly” background “crazy and frankly unbelievable”.

Sgt Di Maria is challenging the “unlawful” decision to strip him of his warrant card for failing vetting in the wake of a slew of scandals, including Sarah Everard’s murder by PC Wayne Couzens. Op Assure pinpointed hundreds of serving officers and staff when concerns were raised about their conduct. The force then dug deep into their full history, unearthing allegations of domestic and sexual violence, including those that were never proved in court or a gross misconduct hearing.

If Sgt Di Maria wins, the Met says it faces a “disastrous” future and staff “with really worrying” pasts could be reinstated, then awarded thousands in back pay. He joined the police in 2004, passed his last vetting clearance in 2017 and remains in the force on special leave. A public complaint was made on August 12, 2019 accusing him of two sexual assaults and rapes in cars in public car parks on December 3 and 9, 2018.

There was also a rape and indecent exposure claim in 2015, an allegation of sending inappropriate messages to colleagues in 2019 and alleged inappropriate behaviour at work two years later. An ex-partner made further accusations of domestic abuse in 2022. Sgt Di Maria claims his right to a fair and public trial under Article 6 of the Human Rights Act had been breached when “no case to answer” claims were used to remove his vetting in September 2023.

A review by Baroness Louise Casey found the Met to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic after 33-year-old Ms Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by Couzens in March 2021. Lady Elish Angiolini discovered a series of red flags were missed about Couzens who should never have been given a job with a history of offending dating back nearly 20 years. Matt Cane, general secretary of the Met Federation, said: “The judicial review we are undertaking into vetting-based dismissal seeks to ensure that the Metropolitan Police Service operates within the law when it comes to its treatment of police officers.

“We emphasise again that the good, brave and hard-working colleagues we represent are the first to say that the very, very small minority of officers who are not fit to wear the uniform should not be in the police service. “But police officers - like all people - need to be treated within the law of the land and they have the right to representation and a fair process. “We await the outcome of the judicial review. Its result will determine how vetting-based dismissal is used and will undoubtedly influence any future vetting revocation within Police Regulations.”.