Met branded institutionally sexist over monster convicted of 48 rapes

THE Met and other police forces were today denounced as "institutionally sexist" as the policing watchdog admitted there were significant problems with misogyny among officers.

- Martin Bentham and Nicholas Cecil

Monster in uniform: "Bastard Dave" Carrick, guilty of over 80 sex offences

Diana Johnson, chairwoman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said "that we should call it what it is - institutional sexism" as she and other MPs grilled the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services Andy Cooke about the failures that allowed Met rapist David Carrick to escape detection during his decades with the force.

Mr Cooke said he did not accept the definition because of reasons including the large number of female officers and chief constables but agreed that misogyny and a flawed culture was blighting too many parts of policing.

He said confidence in policing was at the lowest he could remember in his 36-year policing career before taking up his post as head of the forces' watchdog last year and that the damage caused by Carrick's "despicable" crimes would last for years.

But Ms Johnson, who was backed by other MPs, said she believed the Met and policing more generally were institutionally sexist.

"There is a real problem with the systems in the police service, the culture," she said at a hearing of the Commons home affairs select committee today.