When 30-year-old Issy Vine joined London’s Metropolitan Police as a call handler during the pandemic, she thought she was stepping into a career built on courage and care. Instead, she says, it broke her spirit.
Within three years, Issy reported a male colleague for calling a rape victim a “slut” and telling an immigrant caller to “go back to their own country.” She also claims he made vile jokes about Sarah Everard’s murder — and even followed her home one night. “I did what we’re told to do — report wrongdoing,” she said. “But somehow, I became the problem.”
Though he was initially fired for gross misconduct, the Met reinstated him — paying back his full salary. Issy says she was left shattered, battling PTSD, Hashimoto’s disease, and suicidal thoughts. “I went from confident and bubbly,” she recalled, “to a shell of who I was.”
Today, Issy is rebuilding her life through Speak Up Now UK, a platform helping whistleblowers share their stories and find support. “They stripped everything away from me,” she said softly. “But I’m finding my voice again — and I won’t be silenced.”
Sometimes the bravest thing isn’t wearing a uniform — it’s speaking out when no one else will.
