Review call over Met PC sacked for hitting girl 34 times with baton
The family of a vulnerable 17-year-old girl who was hit by a police officer with a baton 34 times has called on prosecutors to reassess the case.
Benjamin Kemp was sacked by the Met on Friday after it was found he had used "utterly inappropriate" force.
The teenager, on escorted leave from a mental health unit, flagged down police after she was separated from her group.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should "review the case", her family's solicitor has said.
Met PC sacked for hitting girl with baton 34 times
The incident happened in Newham in May 2019 when the girl flagged down a passing police car and told officers she was a vulnerable child with mental health problems.
The police misconduct panel heard the situation had "escalated" and Mr Kemp had used force against the girl, including CS spray, handcuffs and a baton.
Sophie Naftalin, from solicitors Bhatt Murphy, told the Today programme the girl had asked police to assist her "and instead of receiving help she was brutally assaulted by the officer".
She said prosecutors should now look again at their previous decision not to charge Mr Kemp with assault over the incident.
"I think what we would like is for the CPS to... make an assessment of whether it is appropriate to charge him, so in those circumstances he would also be held accountable in the criminal courts," Ms Naftalin said.
Responding, a spokesperson for the CPS said: "Prosecutors carefully considered the evidence passed to us by the Independent Office for Police Conduct in 2019 and determined that - taking into account the circumstances of this particular incident - our legal test was not met."
Ch Supt Richard Tucker, from the Met Police, has apologised to the girl and her family.
"PC Kemp did not behave or use his equipment in accordance with his training. He over-reacted, used excessive force in a very disproportionate manner and was unprofessional," he said.
"For that, he has been held to account and has been rightly dismissed from the service."
Sal Naseem, regional director of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, described the incident as "shocking".
The police watchdog previously said there was no indication racial discrimination had been a factor in the case.
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SRC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-56956124
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