Met Police officer fired for sexually assaulting a child, in latest scandal to rock the embattled force
19 May 2023, 15:11 | Updated: 19 May 2023, 15:14
A Metropolitan Police officer has been sacked for sexually assaulting a child.
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Police Constable Farhan Ghadiali assaulted the child off duty in September 2019 at a party in Buckhurst Hill, a London suburb.
PC Ghadiali, based in west London, was found guilty of sexual assault on March 24 at Chelmsford Crown Court, after an investigation by Essex Police.
He was first tried at Chelmsford Crown Court in May 2022, but the jury could not come to a verdict.
Ghadiali, 44, will be sentenced on May 24 and was dismissed without notice from the Met on Friday after a misconduct hearing.
His actions amounted to a breach of the professional standards of behaviour, the panel ruled.
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Chief Superintendent Louise Puddefoot, Central West Command Unit, said: "PC Ghadiali was found guilty of an extremely serious offence.
"If the Met is to secure both the confidence and trust of the public we need to better protect our integrity by rooting out those that are not fit to serve, such as this individual who today has been dismissed.
“We are putting more resources into investigating allegations of such misconduct."
Ghadiali had been suspended from duty since December 2020.
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The Ghadiali case is among the latest scandals to hit the Met, following a damning review into the culture and standards of the force said in March that it needed a wholesale reform of leadership.
The report, by Baroness Louise Casey, called the force institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.
Baroness Casey did not rule out the possibility that the Met could be harbouring more criminal officers like killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick.
The review, which was commissioned after the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021, has found evidence of discrimination being "baked into the system".
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In an April letter to the Home Secretary and Mayor of London, police chief Sir Mark Rowley outlined an update on the progress being made to clear the Met Police of hundreds of officers he said were "unfit to wear the uniform".
Almost 200 officers have been placed under enhanced risk management measures after having previous complaints of sexual or domestic violence re-examined.
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More than 600 other officers are having previous complaints against them looked at in more detail to see if there were any missed lines of enquiry.
The Met also revealed in April that 161 serving officers have previous criminal convictions.
Almost half of those are for serious traffic offences, including drink driving and driving without care. But some are also serving having committed sexual offences or crimes involving weapons.
Anyone with any information about a police officer or member of staff who works for the Met and is corrupt, or abusing their position and power, can call the Anti-Corruption and Abuse Hotline, run by Independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 085 0000 or complete the online form at www.crimestoppers-org.uk
