Met Police admits victim-blaming after weak lady who was groomed by officer ‘was advised sexual predators do not exist’

The Met Police has admitted ‘victim-blaming’ after a weak lady who was groomed by an officer from the identical unit as Wayne Couzens mentioned she was advised ‘sexual predators solely exist within the minds of Mail readers’.

Lorraine, whose title has been modified to guard her id, was groomed by former officer Phil Hunter earlier than the power wrote to her GP and steered she had ‘fabricated’ the allegations she reported.

She first got here into contact with Hunter, now 60, after reporting alleged stalking and harassment by the hands of an ex-partner, when the cop attended her handle to conduct a welfare test in 2017.

Two months in the past, Hunter was discovered to have dedicated gross misconduct after pursuing an inappropriate relationship for a sexual function with Lorraine.

The listening to was advised the disgraced officer was a ‘sexual predator’ who abused his place within the police.

It dropped at some conclusion an ordeal Lorraine first reported in 2019.

Now the power has issued a press release apologising for a tradition of victim-blaming which led officers to deal with the credibility of victims, not perpetrators. MailOnline has put all of Lorraine’s claims to the Met.

The Met’s head of professionalism Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor mentioned: ‘Too usually previously we have now victim-blamed and we have now appeared to test the credibility of victims, somewhat than specializing in the behaviour of the suspects.

‘It is completely our focus now to make it possible for ladies and ladies… can imagine that we’re taking it very critically.’

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor (pictured) admitted the Met had beforehand ‘victim-blamed’ and appeared into the credibility of victims somewhat than suspects

Lorraine, whose title has been modified to guard her id, was groomed by former officer Phil Hunter earlier than his colleagues repeatedly tried to discredit her by writing to her GP and claiming she had ‘fabricated’ the crimes she reported 

Lorraine’s ordeal started when Hunter was despatched to her house to conduct a welfare test in 2017. He gave her his private quantity and inspired her to succeed in out to him.

Over the following two years, he despatched Lorraine dozens of sexual textual content messages and known as her late at evening, whereas failing to say he had been suspended by the power.

Lorraine continued to report incidents of alleged harassment to Hunter, who she says remoted her from family and friends and advised her solely he may be sure that her claims can be investigated. 

When Lorraine managed to report Hunter’s behaviour in the direction of her, she mentioned Met officers advised her that sexual predator cops ‘solely exist within the minds of Day by day Mail readers’.

MailOnline can now reveal that shortly after she lodged a grievance about Hunter, the Met started contacting her GP and requested intimate particulars of her well being information, in addition to telling the apply Lorraine ‘might be affected by psychological well being points’.

A letter despatched by a nurse working for the Met to her GP said she must be seen ‘urgently’, accusing her of ‘fabricating’ crimes she reported to the power.

A forensic psychological well being nurse seconded to the Met advised the apply there have been ‘issues’ about Lorraine’s allegations and steered ‘she has fabricated these tales herself’.

Within the letter – which was affected by typos – she additionally mentioned she was of the view Lorraine’s studies to police had been ‘associated to a decline in her psychological well being’ and that there have been doubts about her ‘credibility’ as a sufferer. 

One among a number of emails to Lorraine’s GP apply from the Met mentioned she ‘might be struggling with psychological well being points’

Hunter employee within the Diplomatic and Parliamentary Safety unit, the identical  unit as Wayne Couzens (pictured), who kidnapped, raped and killed Sarah Everard

The nurse requested whether or not Lorraine had a psychological well being analysis, whether or not she was on any prescribed drugs and whether or not she had a historical past with secondary psychological well being companies – which embrace hospital admission and disaster groups.

Lorraine’s GP surgical procedure declined to answer to the letter as a result of it was conscious of her ongoing case in opposition to Hunter.

The Met then performed a Merlin – or welfare – report, claiming her allegations had been inaccurate and might be an ‘intentional misrepresentation’.

The report, requested by Commander Catherine Roper – now Chief Constable at Wiltshire Police – added she had a ‘misguided notion of inappropriate contact by an ex-MPS officer [Hunter]’ and claimed she was in a ‘psychological well being disaster’. Lorraine had no historical past of psychological well being points.

‘It nonetheless impacts me,’ Lorraine advised MailOnline. ‘It is exhausting to quantify how traumatic this has been.

‘Once I discovered officers had written to my GP, I used to be shocked and horrified.

‘On this entire course of, I’ve received no justice. There isn’t a closure for me. I believed the listening to can be the tip, however they will not let me go. I am unable to even start to heal.

‘There are nonetheless folks in my life who will not discuss to me as a result of they believed the police, that I had made all of it up.’

In a Merlin reported ordered by Commander Catherine Roper (pictured), officers claimed Lorraine had a ‘misguided notion’ of her contact with Hunter

Hunter resigned from the Met earlier than he might be fired. He was initially granted a black cab licence – however this was withdrawn after the extent of his actions turned clear.

The Met has now admitted it ought to have investigated Hunter’s actions in the direction of Lorraine as early as 2018. 

As an alternative, she needed to wait one other six years till a misconduct listening to present in her favour – solely concluding on August 2 – and additional IOPC rulings are nonetheless pending, with no estimated conclusion date.

After the listening to in August, Commander Katie Lilburn of Skilled Requirements wrote to Lorraine providing an ‘unreserved apology’ for the behaviour of Hunter.

She mentioned: ‘I’m actually sorry {that a} serving MPS officer so audaciously and improperly overstepped skilled boundaries in offering his private quantity and contacting you exterior of a policing function. 

‘Moreover, I wish to acknowledge the compounded hurt brought on by FPC Hunter’s actions being motivated for a sexual function particularly when it was clear that you simply had been weak. 

‘Within the wake of the horrendous crimes of FPCs [former police officers], I don’t underestimate how traumatising and impactful the actions of FPC Hunter should be. 

‘I additionally wish to acknowledge the extra misery brought on by the truth that this was a sample of behaviour by FPC Hunter and he had contacted one other woman (Ms X) in an identical state of affairs and subsequently the predatory sexualised behaviour ought to have been related a lot earlier by the Directorate of Skilled Requirements. I’m so sorry for this failing.’

A misconduct listening to in August discovered Hunter dedicated gross misconduct by pursuing an inappropriate relationship with Lorraine

Commander Lilburn added: ‘It’s my conclusion that our major failing has been in not becoming a member of the connections between the character of the contact FPC Hunter had with you and that he additionally had with Ms X which each occurred at across the similar time in 2017. 

‘I agree with you that these information had been recognized to the MPS in 2018 and it was cheap for the connections to have been made and a joint investigation to have been performed into the sample of behaviour.’

She admitted: ‘Earlier than the terrible crimes of Couzens had been totally uncovered and reported upon – it’s a candid actuality that the chance of police perpetrated Home Abuse and Sexual Offending didn’t have the main focus and highlight that it does now.’

The letter additionally praised Lorraine’s ‘constructive legacy’ and ‘persistence and tenacity’ in pursuing the case in opposition to Hunter.

In relation to the letters to Lorraine’s GP and the Merlin report, the Met advised MailOnline: ‘A grievance made referring to the best way data was handed on was assessed by DPS and concluded no additional motion must be taken. The choice was appealed to the IOPC, who discovered the unique resolution ought to stand.’

A spokesperson added they had been unable to remark particularly on requests for Lorraine’s medical information on account of an ongoing investigation by the DPS [Department of Professional Standards].

A spokesperson mentioned there was ‘no case to reply’ for misconduct associated to Lorraine’s declare she was advised sexual predators ‘exist solely within the eyes of Day by day Mail readers.’