Here’s the moment when police mocked an academic in a strip search. They called her ‘rank’ and described her as such during an ordeal yesterday that the Met had to apologise.
The video showed assistant professor of philosophy at Nottingham University Dr Konstancja Duff humiliated by the treatment in 2013.
The incident occurred as a serving officer complained that the same treatment was being given to him in the Force.
While one police officer has left, others continue to work in the Met.
Sergeant Sgt Kurtis Howard is still serving after being cleared of gross misconduct and can be seen in the footage of Stoke Newington police station.
He instructed officers to demonstrate to her her resistance was futile, and search her with ‘all means necessary. He stated, “Treat them like terrorists.” I don’t care.’
The three female officers then tied Dr Duff inside a cell. She was then pinched and her clothes were ripped with scissors.
Following the search they entered the reception and a policeman informed them that he had not found anything suspicious.’.
One woman said, “A lot of hair.”
Another officer laughed. The other officer laughed and the two policemen looked through her belongings.’.
He said to his coworker, “Oh, that’s her knickers. One female officer appeared in the room, and she said that she felt disgusted. She was going to have to get a shower.
One man in the force replied: “You need to defumigating.”
One woman asked: “Is she rank?” One of the women asked: “Is she rank?” The female officer replied, “No, not really.”
Another officer responded: “She is. Her clothes stink.” A woman replied: “She is, her clothing stink.” It is not.
Staff members called Dr Duff “rank” and discussed her’smelly knickers’ as well as the excessive amount of hair she had on her body.
Dr Duff received an apology from Insp Andy O’Donnell of the Met’s professional standards directorate: ‘I would love to take this chance to sincere and unreservedly apologize for the sexist and derogatory language you used.
Dr Konstancja Duff, an assistant professor of philosophy at Nottingham University, sued after being subjected to the ‘degrading’ examination and ‘sexualised mockery’ at Stoke Newington police station (pictured nearer the time)
Yesterday after an eight-year battle Scotland Yard apologised to Dr Duff for the ‘sexist, derogatory and unacceptable language’ as she was strip-searched.
This appalling treatment was widely condemned and debated.
An active male military officer sent Women’s Hour this morning: ‘The treatment Dr Duff was given to was sickening. I am shocked.
“Unfortunately, even after nine years there are still officers who would make such comments.”
“The only way to change it is calling out the wrongdoers
Continue to emphasize such behavior. Although it may make my job more challenging in the short term, this will lead to a better service for the police in the long-term.
This is an example of a card called a “Know Your Rights” that Dr Duff would have issued in the May 2013 incident.
Her compensation was paid by the Met Police after her shocking CCTV showed her officers calling her a ‘rank’ and discussing her sexiness, her hairstyle, and her lack of knickers.
A photo shows the injuries that Dr Duff said she sustained during the incident
In May 2013, Dr. Duff was arrested for trying to give a 15-year-old boy a card listing all of his rights. Later, Hackney police discovered that the teenager had a 6-inch knife inside his socks.
The Met Police has been forced to pay her £6,000 compensation after the shocking CCTV was released showing the officers.
The Guardian interviewed Dr Duff. He said that despite being there and knowing it was incorrect, he almost began to doubt himself.
‘It was such an effective gaslighting: ‘We were just concerned for your mental health, that was why we had to – for your own good – forcibly strip you naked and mash you up’.
It was clear that they weren’t doing what they intended. It was punishment. They used intimidation to get my information.
After the philosopher professor withheld her name, police initially claimed that they had acted professionally.
A disciplinary panel cleared Sgt Howard of gross misconduct in 2018. He claimed that his actions were necessary to assess any risks she was posing to herself.
The Met Police has not said where any other officers have been probed but said claims against individual officers have been put to the professional standards directorate.
According to Dr Duff, speaking to The Guardian: “There was so much misinformation out there that even though I was there, I had almost begun to doubt my own self-worth.”
Dr Duff, who was also treated in a horrendous manner at Stoke Newington police station (pictured), will receive compensation from the Met.
The force has issued an apology and will compensate her following her civil case against them.
Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards, Insp Andy O’Donnell told her that he had apologized for using sexist and derogatory language about her and any distress it may have caused.
“I hope settlement of this claim will be reached and that you recognize the effects of those events, so that you can move on from this horrible incident.”
Met spokesmen said, “In November 2021 the Met settled a Claim Following the Arrest of a Hackney Woman in May 2013.
“We sincere apologize to the complainant and all distress she caused, for the inappropriate language that was used in her custody.
“Following conclusion of civil claim, allegations of misconduct related to these comments were referred by our Directorate of Professional Standards to be investigated. This investigation continues.