The Met Police has referred itself to the police watchdog after a black charity boss claimed she was bitten and kicked on the tube in front of an off-duty detective constable.
Selma Taha, executive director of Southall Black Sisters, says she was travelling with female friends on the Northern Line on Friday when a white woman on the train became abusive.
The group were allegedly taunted with monkey noises and slurs including ‘b****es’ and ‘slaves’ before the offender resorted to violence, The Independent reports.
Ms Taha says ‘clumps’ of her hair were ripped out and she needed a tetanus injection and antibiotics to treat a deeply embedded bitemark.
She said: ‘Almost worse than the shock of the racist attack was the indifference of the police officer especially now when the Met police has been rocked by evidence of historical, institutionalised racism and misogyny suffered by Black and minoritised communities and finally backed up by the Casey report.’
Selma Taha, executive director of Southall Black Sisters, says she was travelling with female friends on the Northern Line on Friday when a white woman on the train became abusive
Ms Taha says ‘clumps’ of her hair were ripped out and she needed a tetanus injection and antibiotics to treat a deeply embedded bitemark
After the train arrived at King’s Cross, the two parties got off. Ms Taha and her group complained when the officer suggested both groups go their separate ways instead of arresting the woman.
Eventually, the off-duty officer did apprehend the woman after Ms Taha threatened to report the incident to Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley.
A Met Police spokesman confirmed an off-duty Met officer was present during the alleged attack.
The Met stated: ‘We are aware of an incident of alleged assault on a woman by another woman reported to British Transport Police, where an off-duty Met officer was present. We are making immediate enquiries to establish the exact circumstances.
‘A complaint has been received to the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards and we have made a referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct.
‘Any incident of violence, especially if it is racially motivated, is deeply distressing and requires a robust policing response. We will support British Transport Police with their investigation.
‘The officer involved is being provided with welfare support during this process.’
A British Transport Police spokesman added: ‘Officers received a report around 11.30pm on September 29 of an altercation on board a Northern Line Underground train.
‘An off-duty officer from the Metropolitan Police intervened and separated the group before escorting passengers off at the next stop, King’s Cross, and calling the British Transport Police for assistance.
‘BTP officers quickly attended and arrested a 30-year-old woman who was being detained by the off-duty officer on the platform. It was reported she had been racially abusive and bitten one of the group during the altercation.
‘She was arrested on suspicion of assault and a racially aggravated public order offence and has been released on bail while enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances of what happened on board the train.’
Ms Taha was appointed director of Southall Black Sisters in May last year. The charity was established in 1979 to meet the needs of Black and minoritised women in southwest London.
It has also worked to expose many instances of male violence against women.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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