A woman was arrested by Metropolitan police officers at 4:45am after she posted about her ex-partner, a serving Met officer, on a local Facebook group. Three officers arrived in a riot van, detained her, and seized her phone and computer.
The woman, referred to as Sarah, had commented on a post in a group linked to 'Are we dating the same guy?', warning other women about her former partner. She later messaged him, calling him a 'pussy', and blocked his number. She was arrested on suspicion of harassment and spent 12 hours in custody before being released without charge.
The duty solicitor reportedly told her that 'this wouldn't have happened if [her ex] wasn't a police officer'. After her release, her ex-partner sought a non-molestation order, but the court rejected it, expressing concern about the abuse of power in the manner of her arrest. The court noted the application related to one Facebook post and no other allegations.
Sarah made a formal complaint alleging her former partner abused his position, but after nine months the Met found the claim unsubstantiated. An inspector stated the service provided was acceptable and no unsatisfactory performance procedures were warranted.
Sarah said the experience 'changed her whole life' and she now has panic attacks when seeing police officers. A Met spokesperson said the arrest was considered necessary and proportionate, and the allegations of abuse of power were investigated and found unsubstantiated.
