Court rules against Met. Vetting removal process unfair to officer facing abuse allegations and potential dismissal.
The sergeant, Lino Di Maria, challenged this process, arguing his vetting removal was unlawful. This removal would likely cause his dismissal. He challenged the vetting rules meant to remove bad officers. A police leader warned of “disastrous” effects, saying they might not be able to remove unsuitable officers and could even have to rehire fired ones. Back pay could cost a lot too.
The court decided in favor of the sergeant on Tuesday. A judge said the process wasn’t fair to the officer, who had little chance to challenge the decision. The vetting system wasn’t compliant with fair trial rights.
London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, said this impacts police cleanup efforts. Di Maria was accused of assaulting a woman in 2018. He said their encounters were consensual, but the investigation stopped after the woman withdrew support. He was also accused of exposing himself in 2015, but the complainant retracted that claim later.
In 2022, abuse allegations from an ex-partner surfaced. Inappropriate behavior at work was alleged in 2021. Di Maria denies all accusations, and an independent review found “no case to answer.” He joined the force in 2004 and passed vetting last in 2017.
His case was flagged as part of Operation Onyx, which checked Met Police staff for abuse allegations. It started after Sarah Everard’s murder by an officer. His vetting got removed in September 2023.
His appeal failed, leading to his court challenge. He challenged the “vetting dismissal” process which was part of Operation Assure and intended to remove bad cops. His lawyer argued the process seemed unfair because an officer cleared by conduct procedures could still be fired.
The Met’s lawyer said vetting ensures police integrity. They want the public and leaders to trust officers. They were checking past sexual misconduct and abuse claims. They removed vetting from 107 officers under Op Assure. Nineteen officers were dismissed, and nineteen other officers resigned. One dismissed officer was later charged with rape after the dismissal and later died.