The Case of Sarah Everard: London Abduction Brings Wave of Women's Safety Concerns

[question everything]

The abduction and murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard has unleashed a torrent of concern over women’s safety in London and the rest of the U.K., with thousands of women recounting their own stories of harassment in a fresh upsurge in support for the #MeToo movement.

Ms. Everard went missing after leaving a friend’s apartment in south London on March 3, triggering a police search across southeast England. On Friday, police confirmed that remains found in a wooded area southeast of the capital were hers and that an officer with London’s Metropolitan Police, 48-year-old Wayne Couzens, had been arrested and charged with Ms. Everard’s kidnapping and murder. Mr. Couzens, whose duties included guarding embassies, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment, nor could it be determined if he had any legal representation.

The case has struck a nerve in Britain, in part because Ms. Everard had done many of things women are often advised to do to ensure their safety. She wore bright, visible clothing when she left her friend’s apartment in Clapham at 9 p.m. for a walk home to Brixton that should have taken 50 minutes at most. She had called another friend to say she was on her way. And she had stuck to well-lit main roads. Yet she was abducted—and, investigators suspect, by a policeman.

Many women have shared their own experiences of being harassed or feeling unsafe walking city streets. Some described wearing comfortable shoes in case they had to break into a run or pretending to be engaged in a loud phone call to deter potential attackers. Others told how wedging keys between their knuckles had become second nature, so as to inflict as much damage as possible if they needed to strike out in hopes of buying enough time to get away safely.

(snip)

A group called Reclaim the Streets planned a vigil for Ms. Everard in London on Saturday evening, but canceled it after the High Court declined to overrule a police warning that it would contravene Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. Similar gatherings were planned elsewhere in the country. Opposition Labour Party lawmaker Harriet Harman was one of many people who had planned to attend, though it is unclear whether the event would still proceed in some other form.

More..

https://www.wsj.com/articles/sarah-everard-abduction-in-london-brings-wave-of-safety-concerns-from-u-k-women-11615571627 (subscription)

[niyad]

1. Thank you so much for posting this very important article. Would you consider cross-posting it

in Women's Rights And Issues? Thanks in advance.

[question everything]

2. Of course

[HipChick]

3. She was murdered by a cop..however, in comparison the exposure

for missing black women, has been negligible...that outrage is being debated in the press

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Updates, not behind a paywall; London police criticised from all sides for heavy-handedness at vigil

The Metropolitan police have defended their policing of the London vigil in memory of Sarah Everard, after widespread criticism of the force’s handling of the gathering.

Priti Patel, the home secretary, and Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, both said they had demanded an explanation from the Met, amid accusations that officers had grabbed women during clashes with the crowd and mismanaged the largely peaceful vigil in Clapham, south London.
...
Caroline Nokes, the Tory chair of the women and equalities committee, said she was “truly shocked at the scenes from Clapham Common – in this country we police by consent, not by trampling the tributes and dragging women to the ground”.

The Labour leader Keir Starmer tweeted: “The scenes in Clapham this evening are deeply disturbing. Women came together to mourn Sarah Everard – they should have been able to do so peacefully.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/13/sarah-everard-pressure-for-new-laws-to-curb-violence-against-women

Couzens appears to be a serial sex offender:

Sarah Everard: Police officer suspect 'exposed himself in McDonald's twice' days before woman disappeared


The police officer accused of murdering Sarah Everard allegedly "flashed at McDonald's staff twice" just days before the marketing manager disappeared, it's been reported.

Wayne Couzens, 48, allegedly indecently exposed himself twice at the fast food restaurant in South London on February 28.

The vehicle registration used by the man who flashed was noted by witnesses, while CCTV of the incident was handed over to police, The Sun reports.
...
The IOPC confirmed an investigation is underway into whether Met Police officers "responded appropriately to a report of indecent exposure".

https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/sarah-everard-police-officer-suspect-20121150

The IOPC said in a statement: “The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has started an independent investigation into whether Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers responded appropriately to a report of indecent exposure.

“The IOPC’s investigation follows a conduct referral from the MPS in relation to two officers, received last night, which is linked to four other referrals. They are all connected to the arrest of a serving MPS officer on suspicion of kidnap, murder and a separate allegation of indecent exposure.

“Our investigation will look at the actions of the MPS after police received a report on 28 February (2021) that a man had exposed himself at a fast food restaurant in south London.”

The IOPC will investigate the claims about the indecent exposure allegation independently.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/11/sarah-everard-suspect-met-accused-failures-alleged-indecent-exposure