I cannot forgive Met Police officers for photos ‘violating’ by dead girls, says bereaved mother

Police must take misogynistic radicalisation of young men more seriously says Mina Smallman mother of two women murdered in 2020

Mina Smallman said a lack of acceptance and transparency persists in the Metropolitan Police (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Archive)

The mother of two women who were murdered says she cannot forgive the two police officers who “violated” them by taking photos of their dead bodies.

Mina Smallman said she doesn’t feel “hatred” towards the man who killed her daughters, Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, in June 2020.

But in relation to the officers, she told the BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme she had not forgiven them for sending photos of their bodies to a Whatsapp chat group.

She said: "Obviously what they did wasn’t as bad as murdering..”

"But you’re telling me you have violated our girls, further by doing this? Them I haven’t forgiven."

Nicole Smallman, 27, and Ms Henry, 46, were stabbed to death by Danyal Hussein. He was handed a 35 year minimum life sentence.

Jamie Lewis was jailed for taking pictures of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry after they were murdered in June 2020 (Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Archive)

Deniz Jaffer, and Jamie Lewis, had been constables assigned to guard the scene after the women were found dead in bushes in Fryent Country Park, London, in June 2020. The officers took pictures of the women’s bodies, describing them as "dead birds" and sent them to a Whatsapp chat.

Jaffer and Lewis were each given jail terms of two years and nine months at a hearing at the Old Bailey in December, after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office.

Ms Smallman said her feelings toward the police had given her the impetus to keep working on reform with the organisation.

However, she said when the two officers were due to be released she said it made her feel suicidal.

“I knew they were coming out but the whole trauma of their journey – the effect of when they appealed, when they applied to go to an open prison – I just thought, oh, you know what, I don’t want to be here. I just had enough. I’ve had enough of everything. And yeah, I attempted suicide,” she said.

The campaigner for women’s safety, said police needed to take the online misogynistic radicalisation of young men more seriously.

Composite picture of shamed officers Deniz Jaffer (left) and Jamie Lewis outside the Old Bailey in London (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Archive)

"A lot accelerated during lockdown ... [young men became exposed] to dialogues that suggest that if you can’t get a girlfriend it’s because women have become more dominant and men have lost their place in society."

"This is radicalisation that is happening to our young men, it is feeding those haters to hate even more, and giving them the tools to hurt women in their lives."

Despite the actions of Lewis and Jaffer Ms Smallman said she still has faith in the police.

"The majority of the police are good people."

“I’m invited all over the country by different constabularies to come and talk to them about my experience…This is what I do, and I realise it is keeping me alive. I feel really honoured to meet the parents and the women’s groups who are supporting victims, survivors of male aggression.”

The Met Police was approached for comment.