'See it. Say it. Ignore it.': Posters mock Met Police after damning Casey report

The Women's Equality Party has mocked the Metropolitan Police with a series of posters on public transport following the publication of a damning report into the force.

A 363-page review published on Tuesday by Baroness Casey found that women and children have been failed by the Met, which was described as a "boys' club" that is institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic.

In response to the report, the Women's Equality Party has put up posters across the transport network in England and Wales that mock the Met Police.

Their posters have the slogan, "See it. Say it. Ignore it.", riffing off the British Transport Police slogan "See it. Say it. Sorted." which is broadcast on most trains in the UK.

The posters were seen by thousands of commuters on Tuesday morning after they were plastered over stations, trains and the London Underground.

Watch: Met Police may have more like Couzens and Carrick, report says

The poster shows a male police officer dragging a woman away while three other officers look the other way, one of them laughing.

Below the image is the text: "Murder. Rape. Sexual assault. Harassment. Abuse. How can women be expected to trust the police when abusers are thriving in our police forces?

"It’s time the government stopped looking the other way. We demand a statutory inquiry into misogyny in the police.”

Activists also played their own tannoy announcements in various stations.

Their announcement said: "Have you seen something that doesn't look right? Abusive cops? Serial harassment? Rapists getting away with it? Speak to the government or to senior police and they'll ignore it. See it. Say it. Ignore it."

Mandu Reid, leader of the Women's Equality Party, told Yahoo News UK: “When the government launched their “See it. Say it. Sorted.” campaign, they called on the public to be vigilant, but when it came to police misogyny, racism and homophobia they simply looked the other way. And we have paid a huge price, sometimes with our lives.”

She added: “The Met Police has failed every single test that Baroness Casey set. They are institutionally racist, institutionally sexist and institutionally homophobic. This deep dysfunction affects the majority of Londoners.

"Worst of all, they are in complete denial about the harms they have caused, and that means they are fundamentally incapable of reform. It's now time for politicians and police leaders to step aside and let the people they have failed decide the future of policing - a future that the majority of us can actually consent to.”

The party is calling for a group representing Londoners to have the final say on the future of policing following the Casey report.

The report did not rule out that there are more Met Police officers like killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick.

The review was commissioned in the wake of the death of Sarah Everard, who was murdered by Couzens.

Asked if there could be more officers like Couzens and Carrick in the force, Baroness Casey said: “I cannot sufficiently assure you that that is not the case.”

Baroness Casey’s finding that the force is institutionally racist echoes that of the Macpherson Inquiry in 1999, which took place after the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Since then the force has remained largely white and male, the review found.

Baroness Casey pointed out that Carrick was only caught after one of his victims heard a statement made by Miss Everard’s devastated mother and was moved to contact Hertfordshire Police, rather than as a result of any action by the Met.

Watch: Trust in Met Police has been 'hugely damaged', says Rishi Sunak

Her report found that violence against women and girls has not been taken as seriously as other forms of violence.

“Female officers and staff routinely face sexism and misogyny,” the report said.

“The Met has not protected its female employees or members of the public from police perpetrators of domestic abuse, nor those who abuse their position for sexual purposes.

“Despite the Met saying violence against women and girls is a priority, it has been treated differently from ‘serious violence’.

“In practice, this has meant it has not been taken as seriously in terms of resourcing and prioritisation.”

Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said you cannot read the report and not be “upset, embarrassed and humbled”.

He told Sky News: “I absolutely accept the diagnosis that Louise Casey comes up with. We have racists, misogynists and homophobes in the organisation.

“And it’s not just about individuals. We have systemic failings, management failings and cultural failings.”

“We’ve got toxic individuals, some of whom who’ve got concerns about their predatory behaviour. We’ve got people suspended. We’ve got people under investigation. We are rooting them out of this organisation."

However, he said he would not use the term "institutional", saying it is politicised and ambiguous. Baroness Casey said she was disappointed he did not accept the term.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said it was “one of the darkest days in the history of our almost 200-year-old Met Police Service”.

Khan told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday: “We police by consent in our country. If the public has no confidence in the police they’re not going to come forward and report a crime.

“They’re not going to come forward and be a witness to a crime to ensure there’s a prosecution, they’re not going to come forward and join the police.

“So it’s in all of our interests to make sure that the police service changes, root and branch.”

Met Police crisis - read more from Yahoo News UK

The Met Police officers guilty of depraved crimes since death of Sarah Everard (Yahoo News UK, 11 min read)

Rape may as well be legal in London, Met Police officer said (The Telegraph, 3 min read)

Who is Baroness Casey, author of damning report into the Metropolitan Police? (Evening Standard, 3 min read)

Still 'toxic individuals' in Metropolitan Police, says 'embarrassed' commissioner (Sky News, 5 min read)

Rishi Sunak fails to say if his daughters could trust Met in wake of shocking report (The Guardian, 3 min read)