‘The time for apologies has gone,’ says mother of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman

The IOPC said that information in the case of Nicole Smallman, 28, and Bibaa Henry, 46, who were stabbed to death in a park in Wembley, north London, was recorded ‘inaccurately’
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The mother of two murdered sisters has hit out at Scotland Yard’s apology for its “unacceptable” investigation when the pair were reported missing.

The police watchdog advised the Metropolitan Police to apologise to the family of Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46.

They were stabbed to death in Fryent Country Park in Wembley, north west London while out celebrating Ms Henry’s birthday last June.

Danyal Hussein, 19,  will be sentenced on Thursday after murdering the women to fulfil a demonic pact.

Ms Smallman and Ms Henry had been killed by the time they were reported missing but delays in the police response meant their bodies were found by Ms Smallman’s boyfriend.

However, their mother Mina Smallman said “the time for apologies has long gone”.

She told Channel 4 News: “No one was taking it seriously. There was no search put in place by police. Our phone calls were being disregarded.

“There was no action at all… And you know, it’s shameful. It’s shocking that.

“Right from the very beginning, they knew they were looking for two girls, two women of colour.”

Mina Smallman
PA Wire

In a statement on Tuesday Ms Smallman said: “We’re not the only parties who suffered mental anguish at the hands of the Met Police’s incompetent, reprehensible and blatant disregard of agreed procedures regarding missing persons.

“It began with the call handler’s inappropriate assertions, mishandling the call, which led to the cancellation of the missing persons alert. The inspector on the second shift made erroneous assumptions about the whereabouts of our daughters.

“We’re also of the view that his unprofessional comments about Bibaa and Nicole’s picnic suggest racial profiling, misogyny or classism.

“There were approximately 14 people – friends and family – involved in our own missing persons investigation, which started at approximately 4am on Saturday morning and ended with Nicole’s precious Adam discovering their bodies. This lasting image of his soulmate will forever remain in his mind’s eye.

“Sorry just won’t cut it. It’s too hollow.”

Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, says the Met’s response when the sisters were reported missing wasn’t an isolated failure and that it has a “deaf ear when it comes both to women and people of colour”.

He told Radio 4’s Today: “There is clearly, within the Met Police, an extremely disturbing culture that’s been allowed to thrive.

“[Mina’s] concern, as I would expect of her, was for others. She told me: ‘We are not the only parties who’ve suffered mental anguish at the hands of the Met’.

“What is required is repentance, an active turning away from wrongdoing, that takes responsibility. She feels this [apology] is words – it’s not actions.

“It’s nothing that is going to change things for the future.”

The Met said it agreed with the findings of an Independent Office for Police Conduct report that found the level of service provided over the weekend when the sisters went missing was “below the standard that it should have been”.

The force said no misconduct was found by an officer and two members of police staff but there will be action taken over their performance, which was found to be inadequate.

There was no suggestion racial bias played any part in how the missing persons reports were dealt with, it added.

The IOPC investigation found that the inspector closed the police logs after receiving information about the sisters’ possible whereabouts from a family member, but that information was “inaccurately” recorded by a communications supervisor.

This meant that missing persons inquiries for both women were not progressed properly, which was “unacceptable”.

Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said a better response would have saved their family and friends “immeasurable pain".

She added: “I am very sorry that the level of service we provided fell short.

“We have contacted the family to ask if they will allow me or, if they prefer, another senior officer to visit them at a time that is right to apologise in person.”

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