Met officers under investigation over teenager’s death
CLAIMS MADE THAT 19-YEAR-OLD’S MEDICAL CONDITION WAS NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY
TWO Metropolitan Police officers are under investigation by the police watchdog over their handling of the case of a missing west London teenager, who was later found dead.
Richard Okorogheye went missing on March 22 from the Ladbroke Grove home he shared with his mum.
Family and friends launched a desperate search, but the 19-year-old’s body was found in Epping Forest, Essex, on April 5.
Despite disappearing without his medication for sickle cell anaemia, he was not officially recorded missing until March 24, two days after his mum Evidence Joel told the police.
According to Evidence, they “did nothing” when she first reported it.
She has said she believes her son’s disappearance had not been taken seriously by officers because of race.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has confirmed it is investigating complaints about how officers handled reports when the teenager was missing.
The IOPC said that the serving of misconduct notices to the officers did not mean that disciplinary proceedings followed.
It is claimed that one officer failed to pass on information about Richard’s medical condition to the missing persons team, after being contacted by the teenager’s GP.
Another is facing allegations that they failed to take Richard’s condition into account when assessing his risk level.
The BBC reports Ms Joel said: “This development in the IOPC investigation confirms what I have known all along – both Richard’s GP and I were dismissed by numerous officers and staff at the Metropolitan Police.”
Two members of Metropolitan Police civilian staff are already under investigation for alleged failures to pass on information relating to Richard’s disappearance.
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have served misconduct notices on two Metropolitan Police Service officers in connection with our investigation of complaints by Richard Okorogheye’s mother about the way police handled reports that her son was missing.
“The serving of misconduct notices does not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will follow.”
The Met said previously that referral had been made to its Directorate of Professional Standards.
This was a matter of routine as the university student had been reported missing by his family before his body was found.