Metropolitan Police Superintendent Robyn Williams has been sacked for gross misconduct after being convicted of possessing a video of child sexual abuse, despite an outpouring of support from colleagues warning that her dismissal would damage the force's reputation.
The 54-year-old officer, one of the most senior female African-Caribbean officers in Britain and a recipient of the Queen's Police Medal, was found guilty last November after her sister sent her the video via WhatsApp. Williams claimed she never watched the clip and was cleared of covering up knowledge to protect her sister. Only Williams was arrested, though others had the video longer or played it.
At a fast-track disciplinary hearing on Friday, Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball ruled that the conviction amounted to gross misconduct, ending Williams's 36-year career. Ball said it was 'entirely unacceptable for police officers responsible for enforcing the law to break it themselves.' She rejected claims of racial bias, stating race played no part in her decision.
The hearing heard pleas for leniency from senior figures, including National Police Chiefs' Council chair Martin Hewitt, who praised Williams's work after the Grenfell disaster, and community activist Yvette Williams, who said confidence in policing increased wherever Robyn Williams went. Despite the conviction, colleagues wrote they still trusted her and feared her sacking would damage relations with African-Caribbean communities.
Williams remains on the sex offenders' register, although prosecutors accepted she had no sexual interest in children and had never watched the video. She is appealing her conviction, and the Court of Appeal has yet to decide whether to hear her case. After her conviction, Williams worked unpaid at a charity shop for 200 hours as part of her sentence and continued volunteering there twice a week.
