Wayne Couzens was in a WhatsApp group where he shared misogynistic, racist and homophobic texts with fellow police officers, it has emerged.
The ‘vile’ messages were found on the murderer’s phone after he was arrested for the killing of Sarah Everard in March.
Other members of the group, including three serving Met Police officers, an officer from Norfolk constabulary and another from the civil nuclear constabulary, where Couzens previously worked, are being investigated.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IOPC) has launched an investigation into whether they committed gross misconduct and may still begin criminal proceedings, The Times reported.
The organisation said the texts were of a ‘discriminatory and/or inappropriate nature.’
Couzens’ actions have plunged policing in the UK into crisis amid fears he has damaged the ‘bond of trust’ between the public and officers.
During a harrowing two day sentencing hearing this week, a court heard how he had abused his position as a serving officer to make a false arrest and force Sarah into his car before he raped and strangled her.
Yesterday, Couzens was told he faces spending his entire life in prison due to the severity of his crimes.
The IOPC is also carrying out inquiries into officers who were said to have made jokes about violence against women.
A separate case is looking into whether two officers breached standards of professional behaviour by sharing information linked to the case.
It comes as an investigation has been launched into whether Couzens committed any further acts and other potential victims are being urged to come forward.
Freedom of Information requests have found that 771 Met officers and staff have faced sexual misconduct allegations since 2010, with at least 44 convicted of sexual offences.
Sue Fish, a former chief constable of Nottinghamshire, alleged yesterday that policing is institutionally misogynistic.
Asked whether she thought this was the case on Times Radio, she replied: ‘Yes, I do. And that’s not just the Metropolitan Police, that’s policing, structurally, across the country.’
Met Commissioner Cressida Dick is facing calls to resign over the force’s handling of the Couzens case with questions being raised over how he was able to become a police officer.
In court it emerged that colleagues nicknamed Couzens ‘The Rapist’ and he was known to have watched violent pornography as early as 2002.
The IOPC has said it hopes to conclude its inquiries connected to the case as quickly as possible.
A spokesperson said: ‘They (the officers) are being investigated for gross misconduct for allegedly sending messages of a discriminatory and/or inappropriate nature, and for allegedly failing to challenge the messages sent by the others.
‘Two of the MPS officers and the former MPS officer have also been notified that they are being criminally investigated for improper use of the public electronic communications network under Section 127 of the Communications Act.
‘Criminal or gross misconduct investigations do not necessarily mean that charges or disciplinary proceedings will follow.’
A Met spokesman told MailOnline: ‘We take any police-perpetrated abuse incidents extremely seriously and they are regularly scrutinised at a senior level.
‘Any allegation, disclosure or conviction of sexual harassment or abuse perpetrated by an officer or member of staff is robustly investigated.’
MORE : Couzens’ wife ‘watched silently’ as murdering cop was jailed for life
MORE : Probe into whether evil PC committed other crimes as Met defends vetting checks
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