A new report has revealed a "rotten" culture at the heart of England's biggest police force, the Metropolitan Police.

The Casey Review, published on Tuesday, described the culture as institutionally racist, sexist, and homophobic.

This report comes amidst mounting concerns over the treatment of victims of sexual violence by the police force, with many reports of victim-blaming and an inadequate response from officers.

One victim, Tashmia Owen, has spoken out about her experience reporting a rape in Charlton, south east London in November 2020.

Ms Owen stated that she wouldn't report the attack if it were to happen again, despite police forces' assurances that victims will be believed.

According to the BBC, she consistently felt uncomfortable reporting the attack and felt victim-blamed, with the police officer investigating the case seemingly uninterested unless the attack resulted in physical harm.

Ms Owen, a South Asian woman from a Muslim family, added that there were "many other things in the background" that made it difficult for her to come forward and report.

Unfortunately, her fears were not unfounded, as according to the BBC she received threats from the people who raped her after reporting the crime.

After reporting the rape, she was sent two male officers who were "brilliant" and took her to a hospital for a check-up and then to a sexual assault referral centre.

However, the BBC reported that her first interaction with her investigating officer was when he entered the room where she was giving her video statement and warned her not to delete anything from her phone.

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Prosecution rates for rape in England and Wales are currently at their lowest since records began, with the number of detectives assigned to these cases not keeping pace with the increase in reports.

Black Londoners are also nearly twice as likely to be recorded as a rape victim, according to the Casey Review.

It is clear from Ms Owen's experience and the report's findings that urgent action is needed to change the culture within the Metropolitan Police, as well as in police forces across the country, to ensure that victims are treated with the respect and sensitivity they deserve.