A Metropolitan Police officer found guilty of assault for striking a 16-year-old boy has received a community sentence.
PC Sevda Gonen, aged 33, was convicted on two counts of assault by beating for repeatedly slapping the boy in the face and conducting an unlawful search on November 14, 2023.
On Friday, Westminster Magistrates’ Court sentenced her to a 12-month community order that includes 150 hours of unpaid labor.
PC Stuart Price, 35, was also convicted in December for conducting an unlawful search that constituted assault by beating.
Gonen denied the accusations, asserting that she was worried about the boy’s safety during a transport on November 13, 2023.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that Gonen had been suspended, while Price remains on restricted duties.
The officers were summoned after reports indicated the boy had been aggressive at home and violent toward a mental health professional who was attempting to assess him, as revealed during the trial.
In-car footage from a police vehicle captured dialogues between the officers en route to the boy’s residence, displaying the officers using disparaging and crude language to reference him.
Gonen expressed, “I’ve had enough of him.”
Upon arrival, Price, who hails from Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, proposed taking the boy to the hospital in a police van after his mother expressed worries about her son’s well-being.
During the transport, footage revealed the boy lighting a cigarette and smoking inside the van.
In court, Gonen testified that the boy’s smoking caused her to “panic,” citing significant safety hazards and noting her own asthma, which she claimed made the act “criminal damage.”
The officers, concerned that the boy might possess something in his pockets, proceeded with a search that was deemed unlawful since he had not been arrested.
As the boy appeared increasingly withdrawn, Price was heard on the footage saying, “You all right, mate? We’re just trying to help you, mate,” followed by his observation that the boy was “hot to touch.”
In the footage presented at the trial, Gonen was seen slapping the boy’s face multiple times while holding his hair, causing his eyes to flicker.
Regarding her actions, Gonen stated in court, “Whenever I had a concern for his life, I believed the best response was to gently slap his cheeks. I never intended to harm him; this was entirely for his own safety.”
District Judge Briony Clarke mandated that Gonen pay £3,000 in costs, £250 in compensation, and a £114 victim surcharge.
Concurrently, Price was ordered to pay a £500 fine, £2,000 in costs, a £200 victim surcharge, and £100 in compensation.
In December 2023, the Met referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which forwarded a file to the Crown Prosecution Service in April.
Following the trial, the IOPC announced ongoing discussions with the police force regarding disciplinary actions.
Metropolitan Area Commander Hayley Sewart extended apologies to the victim and his family for the “distress and upset caused,” describing Gonen’s actions as “deeply troubling” and “well below the standards we expect from our officers.”
She added, “The decision to charge and convict the officers for assault due to the unlawful search raises significant concerns, and we will need time to understand the implications for our officers and policing practices overall.”
