Jamie Klingler, left, celebrates with fellow campaigners after a High Court victory backing their right to protest

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RAPE evidence binned due to broken freezers, female officers sexually assaulted at work and a black gay policeman mocked by colleagues who hid his uniform.

These were just some of the chilling findings of a damning investigation into the Metropolitan Police’s conduct released on Tuesday.

The Baroness Casey Review found that the Met was institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic. While the verdict was unsurprising to campaigners who have demanded more transparency and reform of the city’s police force, the scale of the failings was still a shock.

Jamie Klingler, who lives in Camden Town and co-founded Reclaim These Streets in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, said: “Even if you remove the racism, sexism, and homophobia, which are the parts that I’ve concentrated on for the last two years, I had no idea what an organisational mess the institution was.”

She said she even found herself empathising with junior recruits who had little supervision from management.

Sarah Everard was killed by a serving police officer who faked an arrest

“They were talking about if someone recently had to go to the scene of a dead baby and there’s no mental health support,” Ms Klingler, who was interviewed as part of the review, said.

“I didn’t expect to feel as sorry for new officers. I was astounded by how little they back them up.”

In 2021, Ms Klingler helped organise a vigil for Ms Everard, who was raped and killed after being stopped by Couzens on her way home from a night out. He had “arrested” her with police handcuffs and ordered her into a car.

Ms Klingler said: “We’re not really ever going to have a moment where we’re like dancing in the streets that male violence is over. And although there’s not any celebrations today, because the report is certainly not something to be celebrated, it is vindication in a way and we worked really hard to bring this to light.

“It’s amazing that Baroness Casey did what she did because there are no punches held.”

Other scandals included the horrific case of David Carrick, a senior officer who was unmasked as one of the UK’s most prolific sex offenders who abused dozens of women. At Charing Cross Police Station, officers were found sharing streams of racist and misogynistic messages.

Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer backed Dame Cressida Dick

After Ms Everard’s death, there were calls for the then commissioner Dame Cressida Dick to be removed so new faces and fresh eyes could look at the Met, but she was backed to stay on by both the then prime minister Boris Johnson and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer – the former director of public prosecutions who is now the MP for Holborn and St Pancras.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan also initially supported her tenure before changing his view and deciding somebody new had to be brought in. Dame Cressida had described the Couzens case as the work of “one rotten apple”.

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Lisa Longstaff, coordinator of Women Against Rape, which is based at the Crossroads Women’s Centre, has been campaigning with the group for 30 years.

She said she was struck by how the report found violence against women and children had been “de-prioritised” whereas the Met’s Specialist Firearms unit had no budget worries.

“The way it describes [the deprioritisation] is like it’s a deliberate decision,” she said. “We’ve seen standards fall. [The Met] was never very good on rape and domestic violence and rape of children. But we have been very frustrated by the falling conviction rate and we have felt the effects of that in terms of the number of women who come to us for help.

“More and more cases are being closed, evidence is being ignored, lost, treated badly. Over the years we’ve dealt with some policewomen who’ve suffered crimes from their partners or colleagues.”

Campaigners from the Crossroads Women’s Centre in Kentish Town and, below, Baroness Louise Casey

She added: “Most of the women who contact us are really tearing their hair out about trying to get something done about a violent man.” It was no surprise that the Casey report found that rape and domestic violence had been de-prioritised.

“We’ve been saying that for a long time,” said Ms Longstaff. Sexual offences have increased from 17 per cent of all crimes in 2012-13 to 31 per cent in 2022-23, but the number of officers investigating the offences has not increased at the same rate, the report found.

Ms Longstaff said: “The fact is, London society cannot tolerate a force which is overwhelmingly white men who are allowed to go around breaking the law.”

New commissioner Sir Mark Rowley

Last year, the group Camden Cop Watch was created and its work has included bystander intervention training.

Group member Richard Mager said of the report: “It’s 300 pages of stuff that we already knew and they already knew. There’s no big surprises apart from the fact that even with the amount of effort that went into that, you’ve got the commissioner unable to accept the notion of the racism, corruption, misogyny as being institutional, and that goes right up to the home secretary and the prime minister.”

He added: “For us in Camden, for me, there is a part of it that feels like they’re not going to change, so it comes down to us to keep mobilising and keep joining forces and talking with people. There’s been so many watershed moments, it’s hard to have hope that this will gain any traction.”

Sir Mark Rowley, who was brought in to replace Dame Cressida last year, said: “This report sparks feelings of shame and anger but it also increases our resolve. This report needs to lead to meaningful change. If it only leads to pillory and blame of the exceptional majority of officers, then only criminals will benefit.”

When speaking to broadcasters on Tuesday he refused to use Baroness Casey’s description of “institutional” discrimination of the Met.

Ms Klingler said: “I’m furious about it because it’s the whataboutery. And it’s a dog whistle to ‘Oh, I have to accept the report. But I won’t really accept the report’. “Half the report is about not being accountable and the Met being in denial. And then what’s the first thing he does?”

Camden Council leader Councillor Georgia Gould said: “This is an opportunity for policing in London, and one that our city cannot afford to miss. The findings of institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia are shocking, but I know that many of our residents will not be surprised.

“The Metropolitan Police must now follow the recommendations of this report and work with our residents in a meaningful way. We now need to see foundations put in place for a police service that listens to citizens and works with them to tackle all forms of discrimination, rather than being a source of it.”

Camden’s most senior officer Chief Superintendent Andy Carter

Camden’s borough commander Chief Superintendent Andy Carter this week uses the New Journal’s letters page to send his own message to residents, and said he was “ashamed and angry that we have let down communities across Camden and Islington, as well as the honest and dedicated majority of our officers and staff, who work tirelessly every day to keep people safe”.

He said: “Being the local policing commander for Islington and Camden is a privilege. It’s a role I take incredibly seriously and I personally apologise to those we have failed,” adding that action would be taken.

“This is my one plea: don’t give up on us,” he said. “I am confident that together we can build a police service of which the people of Camden and Islington can feel proud.”

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