Police officers quit WhatsApp groups as top cop returns to the Met after child porn sacking

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Race played a part in the sacking of a high-flying Met police officer, an ex-chief superintendent has claimed.

Former Met Chief superintendent Dal Babu said he has thought about whether the treatment of Acting Chief Superintendent Novlett Robyn Williams would have been different if she was white.

Ms Williams was sacked and put on the sex offenders register in 2019 after being convicted of possessing child pornography. 

She failed to report a child abuse video that her sister sent her to investigate, with a 2019 jury not believing her insistence she had not even viewed it.

Now the senior Scotland Yard officer, who was on an £80,000 salary, is to go back into uniform and is expected to receive back pay for missed earnings after a police appeals tribunal ruled her dismissal was ‘unfair’ and ‘unreasonable’.

Mr Babu told Sky News he experienced harsher punishment for black officers during his time with the force.

He added: ‘I do wonder sometimes, and I certainly experienced it when I was in the police, whether there is a desire to formalise issues around rule breaking and discipline for officers of colour. 

‘Less so of white officers. That’s something the Met, when it reviews this, will have to look at. Did they formalise this process far too quickly?’

When asked if he thought Ms Williams was dismissed from her role because of racism, Mr Babu said: ‘I do wonder what would have happened if it had been a white officer. Would it have gone to the Old Bailey? This went to the highest court. 

‘It was a trial that had significant impact on all individuals concerned. There is the school of thought that suggested this was a foolish thing for Robyn to do and people would perhaps have had a conversation with her and made her aware. 

‘But the fact she was charged and sent to the Old Bailey is a very interesting factor.’ 

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: ‘The black police association have questioned why all the individuals who were sent the video were not followed up and only some of them were.’

He said he ‘initially’ did not think race played a part in the decision to sack Ms Williams, but has since questioned this.

He added: ‘Subsequently I think you have to ask the question around whether it was a proportionate outcome for Cressida, given that Martin Hewitt, who the chair of the national police council, was saying “look she should be staying”.’ 

This morning Mr Babu said police officers were quitting Whatsapp groups in the wake of the messy legal battle concerning one of the Met’s top law enforcers. 

Group chats on the popular social media platform have been abandoned by some following the case of a senior policewoman once tipped to be Scotland Yard’s first black commissioner. 

Mr Babu told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘When this happened I actually left a lot of Whatsapp groups, I’m a football supporter I’m in a few Whatsapp groups, I left them because I was just very conscious people were sending videos I have no control over.

‘The legislation as it stands at the moment is even if you haven’t solicited it, you are under a legal duty if you receive certain types of videos like this to report it to the police.’

He added to Radio 4 of Ms Williams’ case: ‘I’m pleased, I think this was a bizarre decision that she was sacked when you look at the full circumstances but I can also understand why the police took that position, so it was an incredibly difficult situation.

‘That image was subsequently sent to 17 different people, Robyn was one of them, Robyn was the only one of them that was convicted.

‘Some of the individuals had reported it to police, others hadn’t, and the feeling was – and Robyn’s view and the jury didn’t believe her – she didn’t discuss it with her sister even though they’d spent a day at a spa the following day. She was convicted on that and following that it goes to police process in terms of whether she’s sacked or not. You do have situations where individuals are convicted of offences but they remain in the police, the police decided she should be sacked. 

‘I think the circumstances on this occasion are very much around that fact that, nobody has suggested that she has any interest in child pornography, it was sent to her. She has said that she did not open it and I think there was evidence to suggest that she didn’t open it and then she didn’t discuss it with her sister.

‘Other senior members of the police service were saying she should remain in the organisation, the organisation could have given her a final written warning.

‘Helen Ball, who is the assistant chair to this decided she should be sacked. I think there will be questions asked about proportionality. The police can still judicially review this decision, but I think this is the end of the road for this particular decision.’ 

Prosecutors said there was no way the officer could have missed the 54-second clip, pointing out that Ms Williams had messaged her sister saying ‘please call’ after it was sent.

The case came to court when one of the other recipients of the clip reported it to the police.

Ms Williams was convicted of possessing an indecent image of a child, but spared jail after a judge said it was a ‘complete tragedy’ that she was in the dock as it was obvious she did not have the image for sexual gratification.

Until the prosecution, the officer had enjoyed a stellar career in uniform, winning the Queen’s Police Medal twice and dozens of other awards, including one for tackling gang violence.

She was honoured by the Queen for her senior role during the 2011 London riots and for helping Grenfell victims in 2017.

Yesterday a police appeals tribunal upheld her appeal against her dismissal. 

Ms Williams said: ‘I am extremely pleased with today’s outcome. For over a year, before and during the pandemic, I have continued to support local people by working within community initiatives.

‘I am delighted to be able to return to the work I love, serving our communities within London.’

Police Superintendents’ Association professional standards co-ordinator Victor Marshall said: ‘We have continued to support Robyn since the original allegations against her were made.

‘We are pleased that today’s panel agreed that her dismissal was unreasonable.’

But only last year Assistant Commissioner Ball, who chaired her original misconduct hearing, said the senior officer’s ‘disgraceful act’ constituted gross misconduct and she should be dismissed without notice.

She said: ‘Dismissal after a misconduct hearing is not designed to punish police officers, it’s about upholding the reputation of the police force as a whole. 

‘Williams was in a position of responsibility both on and off duty and her failure to act was very grave. This could have led to further harm to that child in the video.

‘It is unacceptable for police officers enforcing the law to break the law themselves.’

The Met Police said: ‘The tribunal determined Miss Williams’ dismissal should be replaced with a final written warning. We await the full judgment. 

‘We will then consider the ruling and engage with Miss Williams’ representatives accordingly.’