Two Met officers guilty of assaulting a 16 year old boy
They were taking the teenager to hospital for a mental health assessment at the time
Two officers have been convicted of assaulting a 16-year-old boy who they were transporting to hospital for a mental health assessment.
Following a trial at Court which concluded on Friday, 20 December, PC Sevda Gonen, 33, was found guilty of two counts of assault by beating - one for using unlawful force when searching the victim and the second for slapping him and holding his hair. PC Stuart Price, 35, was found guilty of one count of using unlawful force when searching the victim.
Both officers, who are attached to the North Area Basic Command Unit, will be sentenced on Thursday, 24th January 2025.
The officers were convicted following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to an incident on 14th November 2023 when officers were voluntarily transporting a 16-year-old boy to hospital for a mental health assessment, as there were no ambulances available to immediately take him.
Area Commander Hayley Sewart, said: “We know this incident had a significant impact on the victim and his family, and I would like to apologise to them for the distress and upset caused. Very sadly, what started out as an attempt to get the right medical attention for a teenager in mental health crisis quickly escalated to the events we saw unfold that day.
“The actions of PC Gonen in slapping the victim are deeply troubling and fall well below the standards and behaviour we expect from our officers. An internal review of the incident raised concerns about her actions and as a result we referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
“We will continue to exercise such diligence where standards are not being upheld.
“The decision to charge and subsequently convict the officers with assault because the search was deemed to be unlawful, however, raises important questions and we need to now take some time to understand the outcome and carefully consider the possible wider implications for officers and policing in general.”
PC Gonen is suspended. PC Price remains on restricted duties. Now that criminal matters have concluded, we will be liaising with the IOPC regarding misconduct procedures.