I didn’t expect what happened next.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-name” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font=”|||on|||||” header_4_text_align=”center” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]
Words Alice Hall<\/strong><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-1231715025_1024_Widthjpg.jpg” alt=”Met police” title_text=”Met Police Criticised Over Response To Sarah Everard Vigil” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″] When 30-year-old Issy Vine joined the Met Police in 2020 as a call handler, she was ready to have a lifelong career. \u2018I was proud to get the job,\u2019 she tells Grazia.<\/p>\n Issy never dreamed that, just four years later, her career in the police would come to an end for reporting wrongdoing. On a shift in April 2023, she was seated next to a fellow call handler who made a series of deeply offensive comments. The first came when he was taking a report from a rape victim. \u2018He covered his mouth and said, \u201cShe sounds like a slut.\u201d I was so shocked,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n Later, using an expletive, he typed on his phone, \u2018Why don\u2019t you [go] back to your own country?\u2019 when taking a call from an \u2018immigrant\u2019. When Issy was on a call with a map of London\u2019s Clapham area on the screen \u2013 from where Sarah Everard was abducted by Wayne Couzens, a serving Met Police officer, in 2021 \u2013 he said, \u2018Sarah Everard turf,\u2019 in her ear.<\/p>\n At the end of their shift, Issy says, the call handler followed her for the beginning part of her journey home.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/06\/Unknown_1024_Widthjpg.jpg” title_text=”Unknown_1024_Widthjpg” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” alt=”Issy Vine” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||5px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] She complained the next morning and the 999 handler was placed on restricted duties and, in November 2023, he was sacked after being found guilty of gross misconduct. However, after appealing the decision he was reinstated in March last year. In a meeting with the appeal decision-maker, Issy was told that calling his behaviour gross misconduct and dismissing him would be \u2018too harsh\u2019.<\/p>\n Issy launched a grievance against the Met Police and left in November 2024 after claiming the experience took a toll on her mental health. She is now suing the force, claiming constructive dismissal and has launched a petition calling for a review of the legislation and guidance that impacts the way misconduct is dealt with in the police. She has also launched Speak Up Now, an online platform where those working in public services can share their concerns.<\/p>\n <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-quote” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”Libre Bodoni|||on|||||” header_2_text_align=”center” header_2_text_color=”#333333″ header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] After her colleague was reinstated, Issy was told that the original panel who had placed him on restricted duties were too heavily influenced by the Baroness Casey report, which found the Met to be institutionally misogynistic, racist, and homophobic. She began to feel anxious and suffered panic attacks. \u2018I\u2019d rather tell everyone about my experience and spotlight the failings than get a payout, because money won\u2019t keep my conscience safe at night,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n \u2018How is anyone supposed to feel safe knowing that people who can be the perpetrators of harm against women are within the services designed to protect us?\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#111111″ divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”2px” module_class=”custom-divider” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-texts” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|||on|||||” text_orientation=”center” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″] Photos: <\/b> GEOFF PUGH\/ Getty<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Issy Vine is now suing the Met Police.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":10614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"guestgrazia","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10609"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10617,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10609\/revisions\/10617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}‘How is anyone supposed to feel safe knowing this?’<\/span><\/h2>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]
\u2018I was later diagnosed with PTSD and it got so bad I nearly crashed my car driving into work one day because I was crying so much,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n