Key facts
- Mina Smallman, mother of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, has criticized the Metropolitan police.
- She stated the force is incapable of change and "decides who matters."
- Smallman cited the case of Simon Levy, a sex offender who killed two women due to police failings.
- She noted that one of Levy's victims, a sex worker, was not taken seriously by police until he murdered another woman.
- Smallman has expressed frustration with repeated apologies from Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley.
- Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones described Levy as a monster and called the police and court failings "deeply concerning."
Mina Smallman, whose daughters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were murdered in 2020, has voiced strong criticism of the Metropolitan police, stating the force is incapable of change and "decides who matters." Her comments follow the case of Simon Levy, a sex offender who was free to kill two women due to police and court failings.
Smallman highlighted that one of Levy's victims, a sex worker, was not taken seriously by police until he murdered a mother of four, leading to the cases being joined. She expressed outrage at this perceived hierarchy of importance, emphasizing that both women's lives were valuable to their families.
Levy, who received a whole-life sentence for his crimes, was also convicted of sexually assaulting 11 other women between 2023 and 2025. Smallman revealed she contacted Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley, questioning the effectiveness of his public apologies for the force's failures.
She described the Met as "too big" for its leadership to have a hands-on understanding of daily operations, calling it "a joke." Smallman believes Sir Mark Rowley desires change but that the organization is plagued by inactivity, corruption, misogyny, and racism, making meaningful reform impossible.
Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones previously condemned Levy as a "monster" and expressed deep concern over the failings that allowed him to remain at large. Jones indicated that relevant institutions and the police watchdog would investigate the matter.