A Met Police officer who hit her son with a coat hanger has been given a telling-off after she was found guilty of misconduct. The officer, who cannot be publicly identified to protect the identity of her child, was reported to social services after the 11-year-old boy made complaints to his teachers about the incident on October 14 2021.
At a tribunal, one witness said the serving officer had volunteered during a phone call that she ‘never intended to harm her son’. During a visit to the family home, she also said the officer admitted assaulting the child with a coat hanger but that it was not premeditated. Social workers also recorded admissions from the officer on subsequent home visits.
The panel questioned the officer’s credibility after she was initially unable to accept uncontentious parts of the social workers’ records, claimed she had no knowledge of the injury to her son, and attempted to alter the chronology of events. She also accused professionals of ‘misconstruing’ her evidence, while making several different statements to them, the panel found.
The officer was allowed to keep her job
(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
The panel said the incident amounted to ‘the crime of battery’ that ‘went beyond reasonable chastisement’. “She bore responsibility as the parent of a vulnerable child and her behaviour was akin to a criminal offence,” it wrote.
The panel were not satisfied the case warranted dismissal, but found her guilty of misconduct. Instead she received an 18-month written warning.
Got a tip, a court date, or some gossip? Please email callum.cuddeford@reachplc.com or WhatsApp 07580255582.
Don’t miss out on the latest crime stories from across London. Sign up to MyLondon’s Court & Crime newsletter HERE