Woman suing Met police over Harwood racial abuse claims (From Sutton Guardian)

Emilie Diakiese suing Met over claims Carshalton cop Simon Harwood called family "African village people"

10:00am Friday 28th September 2012 in News By James Pepper

A teenager who claims she was racially abused and attacked by disgraced former police officer Simon Harwood is suing the Metropolitan Police.

Mr Harwood, from Carshalton, was kicked out of the Met Police force last week after a public disciplinary hearing found him guilty of gross misconduct.

Mr Harwood was sacked over the death of Evening Standard seller Ian Tomlinson at a G20 protest in 2009.

Now details have emerged of an incident in January 2006 when Mr Harwood allegedly beat Emilie Diakiese, 19, around the head and called her family "African village people".

The psychology student, who was 12 at the time, is now suing the Metropolitan Police for malicious prosecution, false ­imprisonment and assault following an incident in Lambeth six years ago.

Miss Diakese claimed she was attacked by Mr Harwood after asking him to return her father's mobile phone after he was wrongly arrested.

She claims he dragged her into a police car without shoes on, which injured her feet, punched her in the head and racially abused her.

Mr Harwood faced 10 complaints during 12 years in the Met and Surrey police forces.

At Wimbledon police ­station Emilie was charged with using threatening words and ­behaviour and ­assaulting a police officer­ but was later cleared at ­Balham Youth Court.

The family complained to the Met, claiming Mr Harwood accused them of being in the country illegally and got a reply saying the claims were "discussed with the officer".

Jules Carey of Tuckers Solicitors who is representing Emilie Diakiese said "Despite Emilie's age and the very serious nature of her allegations the Metropolitan Police failed to properly investigate her complaints.

"Instead they appear to have promptly swept the matter under the carpet. The Met recently admitted that their vetting procedures were flawed it is now time for them to admit that their disciplinary procedures are also hopelessly inadequate".

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "The public complaint was received on January 19, 2006 and it was ­locally resolved. The complainant said PC ­Harwood punched her, accused her of forging immigration ­papers and told her to go back to her own ­country. We have ­received correspondence from her solicitors."