The command of firefighters of the British capital recognized the actions revealed at the end of an independent survey, and now intends to practice “zero tolerance”.
mo12345lemonde with AFP
The suicide of a 21 -year -old firefighter who said he was harassed by colleagues because of his Caribbean origins triggered the movement. After this drama that occurred last year, the London fire brigade (LFB) ordered an independent survey on behavior within its services. The report which must be made public soon undermines the LFB by revealing degrading practices that His command recognized Friday, November 25 .
“The report contains accounts of bad behavior shocking and painful experiences having taken place for years”, in particular towards women, people from ethnic minorities and LGBTQ +people, reacted the LFB in A press release.
Done in particular from more than 2,000 testimonies from ancient and current members of the brigade, the investigation reveals an “misogyny and institutional racism”, said on Twitter Nazir Afzal, former prosecutor and manager of this investigation.
urine in a helmet, a flowing knot…
Among the extracts cited by British media are the examples of a woman whose helmet had been filled with urine, another than her male colleagues laughed about her weight by imitating the sound of a truck that Records, as well as a Muslim firefighter to whom some colleagues put bacon and sausage in the pockets of his coat, or even a black firefighter who found a rope with a knot flowing on his locker.
“There is no room for discrimination, harassment and intimidation in the brigade and from today, it will be perfectly clear for agents what behaviors are unacceptable and what will be the consequences “said LFB chief Andy Roe, who wants to” rebuild confidence among his agents and with the Commununities that we are here to serve “.
In accordance with the twenty recommendations of the report, he intends to set up a “zero tolerance” with immediate sanctions, better taking into account testimonies of possible bad behavior, the obligation for agents to wear cameras On them when they move to people, and training to raise awareness among the brigade officials on these subjects.
“Decisive moment”
This investigation must be a “decisive moment” for the London firefighters, reacted the mayor of the British capital Sadiq Khan on Friday evening in a statement, by calling the reported facts as “heinous”. He expressed “his total support” to the LFB chief to set up the changes promised in his ranks.
The London firefighters and rescue brigade is the largest in the country, with 5,000 firefighters, less than 500 are women and barely more than 500 are from ethnic minorities, according to the report.
Last month, another report denounced an “institutional” racism in the judicial system, resulting in the decisions rendered and in the lack of diversity within the justice professions. This investigation targeting the LFB also recalls the scandal which had splashed the London police in the late 1990s, with the publication in 1999 of a report which had also pointed out an institutional racism within it.