Met Police Slammed Over Handling of Missing Teen’s Case
The body of 19-year-old Richard Okorogheye was found in Epping Forest on 5 April 2021, nearly two weeks after he vanished from his West London home. A damning investigation has now revealed shocking failures by the police in their response to his disappearance.
Police Watchdog Labels Service “Unacceptable”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched a probe after Richard’s mother, Evidence Joel, lodged complaints about how police treated her during her frantic calls. The watchdog concluded officers gave an “unacceptable level of service” throughout the search.
Among the criticisms:
- Richard was wrongly classified as low risk for far too long before his risk level was increased.
- Police call handlers incorrectly recorded his medical condition as anaemia instead of sickle cell anaemia, a serious oversight.
- Court handlers and officers failed to pass vital information to the right teams promptly.
- One call handler insultingly told Ms Joel, “If you can’t find your son, how do you expect us to?”
Mother Rejects Police Apology
Ms Joel dismissed the Met’s apology outright. She said the investigation “confirmed what I always knew” — her pleas were dismissed and her son’s disappearance was not taken seriously. She added:
“Despite the IOPC and Metropolitan Police admitting failures at multiple levels, the fact remains that my darkest hour was met with disregard and insensitivity.
Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Issues Apology
Bas Javid, Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, said:
“I apologise for the distress caused by this substandard service. The handling of Richard’s disappearance did not meet public expectations. Risk assessments were delayed, communication with his mother was poor, and one officer made an insensitive comment for which we are deeply sorry.”
The report also noted that the police were too slow to officially declare Richard missing and that Ms Joel believed racism affected the response.
This tragic case shines a harsh spotlight on systemic flaws in how missing person cases — especially involving minorities — are handled by the Met Police.
