KATIE SLAMS
KATIE Price says she feels betrayed by the scandal-hit Metropolitan Police as officers are investigated over allegedly making callous jokes about her disabled son Harvey.
The TV star and ex-model, 44, told the Sunday Mirror of her fury after learning eight policemen face a gross misconduct inquiry. They are accused of using a WhatsApp group to exchange jibes about brave Harvey, 20, who has severe disabilities.
Katie said: “These are the people who are supposed to be protecting us, people we are supposed to trust. It’s pure betrayal. I was in shock at first, then I felt sick, heartbroken and angry.”
She went on to call for a criminal probe, and stormed: “It’s not enough for these people to just lose their jobs if found guilty. If this has happened to a vulnerable adult like Harvey, it will be happening to others.”
My son doesn’t have a bad bone in his body. He doesn’t deserve this from anyone KATIE ON WHATSAPP GROUP TAUNTS
ABUSE
The claims are the latest in a string of damaging episodes for London’s Metropolitan force, which was last year plunged into special measures.
Today we name the officers alleged to have exchanged discriminatory messages about Harvey, who has a condition called Prader-Willi Syndrome, between 2016 and 2018.
They are: Police Sergeant Luke Thomas, PC Glynn Rees, former Acting PS Luke Allen, former PC Lee South, former PC Carlo Francisco, former PC Kelsey Buchan, former PC Darren Jenner and another listed only as Officer B.
Katie, who breached a restraining order last year, said: “I have obviously had dealings with the police in the past, and I can handle the abuse people want to throw at me.
“I can stick up for myself. When it comes to my son, it’s different. Harvey is so vulnerable, so innocent. He doesn’t have a bad bone in his body – all he wants is to love people and be happy. He doesn’t deserve this from anyone.”
She claims officers appear to have gone out of their way to set up a WhatsApp account dedicated to laughing at him and abusing him.
She said: “I’m just glad he doesn’t know this has happened, because if he did, it could do him serious harm.
“The impact has already ricocheted through our whole family. My children Jett and Bunny, who are very protective of Harvey, have both been in tears and Princess and Junior are furious about it. They are old enough now that you can’t keep things from them, because
they are asked about it at school.” The officers’ WhatsApp group is alleged to have included “discriminatory content attacking the protected characteristics of race, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation and sex, in the forms of messages, memes and videos”.
The gross misconduct hearing into the allegations will take place on Monday in West London. Katie shared the letter she received about the hearing on Instagram yesterday with a