Sarah Everard’s family have hit out at the missed opportunities police had to confront her killer Wayne Couzens.
The findings of an inquiry uncovered a series of failures in recruitment and vetting processes that meant Couzens was able to remain a police officer despite an accusation of a sex offence.
The former Metropolitan Police officer was alleged to have committed a serious sexual assault against a child before joining the police in 2002.
In a statement, Miss Everard’s mother Sue, father Jeremy and siblings Katie and James said they had found hope that the “significant findings” announced in the first part of the Angiolini Inquiry could lead to changes to keep other women safe.
“We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer – she would never have got into a stranger’s car,” they said.
“It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in reality he was a serial sex offender.
“Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed.”
The 350-page report also found that Couzens had shown friends and colleagues violent pornography, shared unsolicited images of his genitals to young women, and allegedly possessed indecent images of children.
Key Points
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Wayne Couzens allegedly committed serious sexual assault against a child
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‘Sarah died because he was a police officer,’ says family of Sarah Everard
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Lady Elish says police need to make sure ‘another Couzens isn’t operating in plain sight’
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What is the Angiolini Inquiry?
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What happened to Sarah Everard? Timeline of 33-year-old’s disappearance
‘Sarah died because he was a police officer,’ says family of Sarah Everard
10:38 , Holly Evans
Sarah Everard’s parents and siblings Sue, Jeremy, Katie and James, said in a statement: “As a family, the inquiry has helped us, not just because of its significant findings, but because its implementation made us feel that Sarah’s life was valued and her memory honoured.
“Her death has not been dismissed as a tragic event to be acknowledged with sympathy and then forgotten – questions have been raised and actions taken to investigate how this tragedy happened.
“As a family, we have not had to fight for answers and, for this, we are very thankful.
“It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in reality he was a serial sex offender.
“Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed.
“We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer, she would never have got into a stranger’s car.”
Their statement continued: “It is almost three years now since Sarah died. We no longer wait for her call; we no longer expect to see her.
“We know she won’t be there at family gatherings. But the desperate longing to have her with us remains and the loss of Sarah pervades every part of our lives.”
Thank you for reading
15:46 , Holly Evans
We are now closing our live coverage of the outcome and reactions of the inquiry into Wayne Couzens’ policing career.
Keep an eye on our homepage for any new updates.
Sarah Everard’s murder ‘devastating’ and ‘preventable’, campaigners say
15:36 , Holly Evans
Campaigners have said Sarah Everard’s “devastating” murder was “entirely preventable”, as police chiefs vowed to do better in the wake of the Angiolini Inquiry.
Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women coalition (EVAW), called on the Government and the police to take urgent action to address the inquiry’s findings.
Inquiry chairwoman Lady Elish Angiolini warned that without a radical overhaul of policing practices and culture, there is “nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight”.
Read the full article here
Sarah Everard’s murder ‘devastating’ and ‘preventable’, campaigners say
Standards of officers must not be sacrificed to hit recruitment targets, says Cleverly
15:23 , Holly Evans
The standards of Metropolitan Police officers must not be sacrificed to hit recruitment targets, Home Secretary James Cleverly told MPs.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Cleverly said: “There absolutely must not be no sacrifice of quality, of vetting, to try and hit the recruitment targets that we have made clear we expect the Metropolitan Police to hit.
“We want the Metropolitan Police to be a well-recruited force.”
IOPC statement following publication of part 1 of the Angiolini Inquiry Report
14:32 , Barney Davis
IOPC Acting Director General Tom Whiting said: “Lady Elish Angiolini’s findings are stark and unflinching. She has set out a range of recommendations that must act as a catalyst for change.
“Her report reflects some of our own recommendations including better information sharing so forces are notified when a police officer is linked to an ongoing investigation, and changes to national police training and guidance to improve sexual offence investigations.
“However, as Lady Elish says, it will take more than just changes to policies, guidance and training to address systemic and cultural issues in policing. She has set out a challenge to police leaders that there must be fundamental change.
“As the police complaints watchdog, we also believe the time is right for radical reform of the police accountability system in this country. A fitness to practise or ‘licencing system’ would go a long way to dealing with the vetting and other issues identified in both Lady Elish review and the Baroness Casey report.
“A national licencing system, in line with many other professions, would bring much-needed consistency, legitimacy and accountability to the police service which in turn would help rebuild public trust and confidence.”
Home Secretary has said the policing for the vigil held to remember Sarah Everard was ‘just awful’
14:17 , Barney Davis
Shadow minister Florence Eshalomi raised the matter of the vigil, held during lockdown which resulted in several arrests, in the Commons saying: “I think about the events back in March 2021 and taking people back to the vigil that was organised in Clapham Common… and the fact that women wanted to come together to show that solidarity, and we all remember the scenes of Patsy Stevenson being handcuffed on the ground by two police officers.”
She added: “Does (Mr Cleverly) not agree that for those very same women to come forward that they need confidence in the police, and that includes suspending those police officers who have acted inappropriately at the first hurdle – no ifs, no buts?”
Home Secretary James Cleverly responded: “The policing of the vigil for Sarah Everard was awful. It took what was already an incredibly painful set of circumstances and made it worse, and I’ve spoken to police officers that recognise that and I will continue to speak about leadership… it’s about driving attitudinal change, it’s about a willingness to accept criticism from people who have felt victimised for far too long… to respond to those incredibly legitimate concerns at a point of incredible sadness and tragedy amplified what was already a tragic circumstance and I will everything I can to make sure situations like that are never, never repeated.”
No 10 says report has undermined confidence in the police
14:00 , Holly Evans
Downing Street said the case had undermined confidence in the police and, despite efforts to improve standards, the report highlighted that “more needs to be done”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The horrific crimes committed by then-serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens shocked the nation and undermined public confidence in the police.
“In the years since, the Home Office has been working closely with the police to strengthen the way that police officers are vetted, scrutinised and disciplined. And more broadly, significant efforts have been made to tackle violence against women, girls.”
There had been “huge strides” in rooting out rogue officers and improving vetting but the spokesman added: “Today’s report highlights that more needs to be done and we will thoroughly consider the recommendations.”
All the missed opportunities by police to catch Wayne Couzens before Sarah Everard’s murder
13:45 , Holly Evans
A series of red flags were missed about killer Wayne Couzens that meant he was able to remain an armed police officer despite being a serial sex offender, a damning report has found.
The Home Office-commissioned report found that Couzens’s history of alleged sexual offending and preference for extreme violent pornography dated back nearly 20 years before Sarah Everard’s murder.
Couzens abducted, raped and murdered 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard in March 2021, before burning and dumping her body near Dover.
Read the full report from Alexander Butler here:
All the missed opportunities to catch Wayne Couzens before Sarah Everard’s murder
Recap: Damning inquiry finds Sarah Everard’s killer should never have been allowed to join police
13:30 , Holly Evans
Wayne Couzens’ predatory sexual behaviour started 20 years before he raped and murdered Sarah Everard and he should never have been allowed to join the police, a damning inquiry has found.
A shocking new report has uncovered allegations that Couzens committed a very serious sexual assault against a child who was barely in her teens before his policing career even started.
Lady Elish Angiolini said the allegations were among five other incidents of sexual offending which were never reported to police and, due to under-reporting of sexual offences, she fears there may be even more victims.
Read the full story from our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin here:
Inquiry finds Sarah Everard’s killer should never have been allowed to join police
Former home secretary Priti Patel says police need to ‘raise the bar’
13:15 , Holly Evans
Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel said police forces around the country need to “raise the bar” when it comes to vetting and action.
Dame Priti said she hoped the Angiolini Inquiry report had given Sarah Everard’s family “some sense of the facts that they asked for around what happened to their beautiful daughter”.
She told the Commons: “This is a clear call for action when it comes to all police forces around the country to raise the bar on consistency, as has already been mentioned, when it comes not just to vetting but to action. There is no place for criminal conduct at all or corrupt conduct in policing, we police by consent in our country and that bond has been broken.”
Women’s organisation calls on police to root out misogyny, racism and discrimination
12:55 , Holly Evans
Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: “Today we’re thinking of Sarah Everard, her loved ones and all who may be affected by the horrifying details being reported today.
“Understanding the systemic failings that enabled Couzens to do what he did will never detract from his responsibility for the horrific crimes he committed against Sarah Everard. But in showing us the missed opportunities that might have prevented a police officer from being free to commit rape and murder, it moves us closer to stopping other police officers from abusing their power and status to harm women and girls.
She added that women’s organisations had long called for non-contact sexual offences and such as indecent exposure and online abuse to be taken seriously, given that they often indicate a pattern of offending.
“It is absolutely devastating that the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard was entirely preventable. It is clear from this report that Couzens should never have been employed as a police officer or permitted to continue a career in policing,” she added.
“The government and police leaders must urgently heed the inquiry’s recommendations and work with expert women’s organisations to transform the culture of policing to root out misogyny, racism and other forms of discrimination, and demonstrate transparency and accountability at all levels.
“We will not accept any more failings, excuses, and missed opportunities to prevent police perpetrating violence against women and children.”
Labour MP says government has been ‘repeatedly warned’ about vetting
12:37 , Holly Evans
The Government was “repeatedly warned about failures around vetting and misconduct” in the police, Yvette Cooper said, including reports in 2012, 2019, 2022, and in 2023 which all highlighted “serious failures in vetting procedures”.
The shadow home secretary added: “I called two years ago for mandatory national vetting standards. Individual forces are working hard, but there isn’t mandatory standards for all forces.
“All the Government has done is brought in a code of practice two-and-a-half years after Sarah Everard’s murder, which isn’t strong enough.”
She also claimed James Cleverly’s announcement on automatic suspensions for officers “does not go far enough”.
The Home Secretary said he did not think it was fair to say nothing had changed in police culture and processes in recent years, adding: “I understand the frustration that not enough has happened, it has not moved fast enough, there is cultural change that still needs to be driven through.”
Yvette Cooper says Couzens ‘should have been stopped from being a police officer’
12:17 , Holly Evans
Speaking in the House of Commons, Labour MP Yvette Cooper said: “It [report] exposes a catalogue of appalling failures in the police vetting and misconduct processes and in investigating indecent exposure and sexual offences.
“Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. He should have been stopped and he could have been stopped from being a police officer.
“It is appalling his history of alleged sexual offending stretches back so many years and yet so many opportunities to investigate were repeatedly missed and most disturbingly, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight.”
Reclaim These Streets say report is ‘the worst kind of broken record’
12:10 , Holly Evans
Anna Birley, co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, which staged a high profile vigil in the wake of Miss Everard’s murder, said it will be difficult for women to trust police until the inquiry’s recommendations are embraced by the government.
She told The Independent: “It’s the worst kind of broken record – inquiry after inquiry describing serious failings in police policy, processes and culture but time and again an utter lack of action or change.
“Misogyny still thrives within policing culture, warning signs are missed and dangerous men operate in positions of authority in plain sight.
“The report is a grim read, and Lady Elish has done a thoughtful and thorough job but until the Home Secretary makes the inquiry and its findings statutory I don’t trust that the necessary reforms will be implemented.
“Until then, it will be difficult for women to trust that there are not predators among the ranks of the people tasked with keeping them safe.”
Mayor of London says inquiry ‘shines a light on systemic failings’ in policing
11:58 , Holly Evans
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has vowed to ensure “lessons are learned” from the Angiolini Inquiry.
Mr Khan, who is also the equivalent of the police and crime commissioner for the capital, said in a statement: “The report by Dame Elish Angiolini shines a light on systematic failings in police investigations, vetting and the handling of misconduct allegations. We all need to closely examine and consider all the findings of the inquiry.
“I’m determined to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon quickly by the police as part of a process of major reform – not just in London, but across the country – to raise standards, strengthen vetting and, above all else, prevent anything like this from ever happening again.”
He added that police regulations must be “strengthened” to make it harder for those who have faced serious allegations about their behaviour to join any police force.
“And police disciplinary processes must be reformed to make it easier and quicker to remove officers who fall below the high standards rightly expected of those who are entrusted to keep us safe,” he said.
“As I have been saying for some time, the public deserve better from the Met and police forces across the country. There must be no hiding place for those who abuse their position of trust and authority within the police.”
My thoughts are with Sarah Everard’s parents, her siblings, her loved ones and everyone who knew her. Sarah’s death shocked the nation. Her family, Londoners and the wider public rightly deserve answers and an explanation as to how a serving police officer was able to carry out…
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) February 29, 2024
Kent Police apologised for handling of 2015 flashing investigation
11:50 , Holly Evans
Kent Police has apologised for failing to properly investigate when Wayne Couzens was reported for indecent exposure in 2015.
In a statement, the force said: “Everyone at Kent Police is shocked, appalled and disgusted by the crimes Wayne Couzens committed against Sarah Everard and we share in the collective grief for her loss.
“Part I of the Angiolini Inquiry report has been made available to us today, and whilst we continue to carefully consider its contents we fully accept the recommendations made of Kent Police.
“We also accept our investigation into a 2015 incident of indecent exposure was flawed due to it being allocated to an officer who was not a trained investigator, and apologise for this failing.”
Home office will ‘thoroughly consider’ Angiolini report recommendations
11:38 , Holly Evans
The Government will “thoroughly consider the recommendations” made by Lady Elish Angiolini in her report into Sarah Everard’s murder by Wayne Couzens, the Home Office said.
“Since 2021, the Government has been driving forward a body of work to strengthen the way police officers are vetted, scrutinised and disciplined, and more broadly, efforts to put a stop to violence against women and girls,” the department said in its response to the inquiry.
“However, the report today highlights the need for further action and the Government, in tandem with policing partners, will thoroughly consider the recommendations made by Lady Elish and respond in full in due course.”
Home secretary says Sarah was ‘failed in more ways than one’
11:21 , Holly Evans
Responding to the report, home secretary James Cleverly said: “The act of pure evil committed against Sarah shocked the nation to its core. My heart goes out to Sarah’s family and to all the brave victims who came forward to help inform this report and drive change.
“The man who committed these crimes is not a reflection on the majority of dedicated police officers working day in, day out to help people. But Sarah was failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe, and it laid bare wider issues in policing and society that need to be urgently fixed.
“In the three years since, a root and stem clean-up of the policing workforce has been underway and we have made huge strides – as well as making tackling violence against women and girls a national policing priority to be treated on par with terrorism.
“But we will continue to do everything in our power to protect women and girls. I am grateful to Lady Elish for her meticulous investigation. Her insights will be invaluable as we move forward in supporting our police to build forces of the highest standards of integrity and regain the trust of the British public.”
Couzens allegedly tried to kidnap woman at knifepoint in 1995
11:18 , Holly Evans
In her lengthy report, Dame Elish revealed that Couzens’ allegedly tried to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in north London. He would have been aged 23 at the time, and the incident was not reported to the Met Police at the time.
The woman came forward after recognising Couzens following his arrest for the murder of Miss Everard.
During the mid-1990s, he was also accused of carrying out a “very serious sexual assault of a child barely in her teens”, as well as exposing himself towards a teenage girl in south London in 2004. It was not reported at the time but similarily, the woman came forward after Miss Everard’s murder.
Couzens is also accused of raping a woman at a singles night at a bar in east London between late 2006 and early 2007, as well as another allegation of rape in October 2019 which took place under a bridge.
In the summer of 2019, he is accused of sexually assaulting a man dressed in drag at a bar in Kent. He told the victim that he was a police officer and invited him outside to perform a sex act, with the man coming forward to police following Couzens’ arrest in 2021.
Met commissioner says Couzens crimes represent ‘most appalling betrayal of trust’
11:06 , Holly Evans
Responding to the Angiolini report, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are.
“Wayne Couzens’ crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust.
“It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in.
“The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing.
“We must go further and faster to earn back the trust of all those whose confidence in policing has been shaken by events of recent years.
“Regardless of our significant progress over the past year, the scale of the change that is needed inevitably means it will take time and it is not yet complete.
“The majority of my Met colleagues share my determination to reform by both confronting the risk posed by predatory men in policing, and also, improving our protection of women and children across London.”
Information commissioner calls for ‘greater transparency’
11:02 , Holly Evans
Information Commissioner John Edwards, who contributed to the inquiry, said: “This inquiry paints a concerning picture of how disciplinary concerns about police officers and recruits are shared.
“There is no room to hide behind misconceptions of the law on such an important matter: data protection law does not stand in the way of police sharing information about a potential recruit’s previous disciplinary action or warnings, nor does it act as a shield against investigations into police officers.
“There is a need for greater transparency here. The public have a right to understand how information will be shared to encourage trust in high standards of policing, and police officers have a right understand how their information will be shared.
“We’ll continue working with the police to make sure data protection law, and the data sharing it allows, is clearly understood and works to serve and protect the best interests of the people of the UK.”
Couzens had shared his ‘callous’ views of women on social media groups
10:58 , Holly Evans
While he carefully controlled how he was seen by colleagues, Couzens spent his working life in environments dominated by men that did nothing to discourage his warped beliefs, the inquiry found.
“Although Wayne Couzens was not wholly a product of his working environments, those environments did nothing to discourage his misogynistic view of women and meant that providing he presented himself as professional his deviant behaviour outside work could flourish,” the report said.
She said that he had shared his “callous views of women” with like-minded people on a social media, and that his appearance has an unremarkable officer had enabled him to target vulnerable women.
Lady Elish says police need to make sure ‘another Couzens isn’t operating in plain sight’
10:52 , Holly Evans
Speaking to journalists as the report was published, Lady Elish Angiolini said: “Wayne Couzens was never fit to be a police officer. Police leaders need to be sure there isn’t another Couzens operating in plain sight.”
She remembered Miss Everard “whose life was cut short by the most unimaginable cruelty”, and paid tribute to her family saying: “I have been profoundly affected by their grief, and their grace in suffering.”
Lady Elish continued: “Sarah’s murder by an off-duty police officer shocked the nation. It triggered a surge of discourse about women’s safety in public spaces and started a tidal wave of reporting on police misconduct, particularly where officers misused their powers to commit sexual offences.
“What is already clear is how much damage Couzens has done to the social contract on which policing is based and how significant improvements are required.”
Couzens hid his financial debts and exaggerated service in the Territorial Army
10:49 , Holly Evans
There were also failures in vetting, with Wayne Couzens hiding the level of debt that he was in and exaggerating the amount of time he spent in the Territorial Army.
Couzens, who became a special constable for Kent Police in 2002, failed vetting to become a regular officer in 2008, but was allowed to remain as a special with all the same powers as a regular constable and was permitted to work alone.
When he joined the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, an outside force – Thames Valley Police – carried out vetting and found that he should not be recruited, in line with rules around officers with heavy personal debts, but this was ignored.
In 2018, when he joined the Metropolitan Police, a search of the Police National Database, an intelligence database, found “no trace”.
In fact there were entries about an incident in 2013 when he was reported missing from home, and an allegation of indecent exposure from 2015.
These were also missed when he applied to be a firearms officer the following year.
Key events in Wayne Couzens’ policing career and the fallout of his crimes
10:41 , Holly Evans
Wayne Couzens served in three police forces before he murdered Sarah Everard and was sentenced to die in prison.
Concerns were raised about his behaviour at various points before the killing, including when he exposed himself to women and his demeanour at work, with claims that he was nicknamed “the rapist”.
Here is a timeline of events concerning the former police officer.
Read the full article here
Key events in Wayne Couzens’ policing career and the fallout of his crimes
Police investigations into flashing in 2015 and 2021 were ‘inadequate’
10:35 , Holly Evans
While the inquiry did not make a conclusive finding that Miss Everard’s murder could have been prevented, it found that Wayne Couzens could have been sacked if vetting and investigations into indecent exposure reports had been more thorough.
His crimes were “the culmination of a trajectory of sexually motivated behaviour and offending”, including indecent exposure, the sexual assault on a child, sexual touching and sharing unsolicited photos of his genitals, the report found.
It said that there were also allegations that he possessed indecent images of children.
Police investigations into alleged indecent exposure in 2015 and 2021, in the days before the murder, were “of poor quality and inadequate”, and “seemed destined to fail from the start”.
“Rather than embarking on a process of detailed, thorough and time-consuming evidence-gathering, the officers displayed apathy and disinterest and found reasons not to pursue the cases”, the report said.
Damning inquiry finds Sarah Everard’s killer should never have been allowed to join police
10:32 , Holly Evans
Wayne Couzens’ predatory sexual behaviour started 20 years before he raped and murdered Sarah Everard and he should never have been allowed to join the police, a damning inquiry has found.
A shocking new report has uncovered allegations that Couzens committed a very serious sexual assault against a child who was barely in her teens before his policing career even started.
Lady Elish Angiolini said the allegations were among five other incidents of sexual offending which were never reported to police and, due to under-reporting of sexual offences, she fears there may be even more victims.
Read the full report from our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin here:
Inquiry finds Sarah Everard’s killer should never have been allowed to join police
Wayne Couzens allegedly committed serious sexual assault against a child
10:30 , Holly Evans
A damning report into the policing career of Wayne Couzens has found that he was accused of committing a very serious sexual assault against a child who was barely in her teens before he joined the police in 2002.
In a Home Office-commissioned inquiry, Lady Elish Angiolini said that the allegations were among five other incidents of sexual offending that were never reported to the police.
She has also raised concerns that there may be even more victims who are yet to come forward.
What did Wayne Couzens do?
10:10 , Holly Evans
An armed police officer with the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Unit, Couzens had “long planned to carry out a violent sexual assault on a yet-to-be-selected victim” who he intended to coerce into his custody.
Using his knowledge of coronavirus patrols, he used his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant card, to trick Miss Everard under the guise of a fake arrest for breaching Covid guidelines.
At the time, she had been walking home from Clapham after visiting a friend.
The then-48 year old, who had been a police officer since 2002, drove around for a significant amount of time before approaching and handcuffing Miss Everard and bundling her into a car.
He drove to Dover in Kent, where he transferred her to his own car, before travelling to a remote rural area nearby. It was there that he raped and murdered his victim – strangling her with his police belt – before burning her body.
Sarah Everard’s murder to be explored in new BBC documentary
09:48 , Holly Evans
The Metropolitan Police’s investigation into the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Cousins will be explored in a new BBC documentary.
Everard, 33, was raped and killed by PC Wayne Couzens in March 2021, in a high profile case that led to increased fears about women’s safety and the culture within the British police. Everard was walking home in south London when Couzens targeted her.
The new BBC documentary, titled Sarah Everard: The Search For Justice, will look at the Met’s investigation into Everard’s murder and how the crime unfolded.
It will be told by those closely involved in the case, including the Senior Investigating Officer, the Prosecuting Barrister and Everard’s local MP.
Read the full article here
Sarah Everard’s murder to be explored in new BBC documentary
What is the Angiolini Inquiry?
09:37 , Holly Evans
The long-awaited Home Office commissioned inquiry is set to be published on Thursday, which will examine Couzens’ policing career and the missed opportunities to catch him.
It is aiming to establish what the Met Police may have known about his behaviour prior to the murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021.
After he pleaded guilty to her abduction, rape and murder, the police watchdog announced it was investigating alleged failures to investigate to previous incidents of indecent exposure in February 2021.
Kent Police also allegedly failed to investigate a similar flashing incident in 2015, while he was working for the force.
Then-Metropolitan Police constable Samantha Lee was sacked and barred from being a police officer after it was found she had not properly investigated the incidents.
The Casey Review, commissioned by the Met in the wake of Miss Everard’s murder, finds that the force is institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynist, and that there may be more officers like Couzens and rapist David Carrick in its ranks.
What happened to Sarah Everard? Timeline of 33-year-old’s disappearance
09:28 , Holly Evans
The findings of an independent report into killer police officer Wayne Couzens is set to criticise Kent Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police for missing warning signs before the rape and murder of Sarah Everard.
The former Scotland Yard officer indecently exposed himself three times before the murder, including twice at a drive-through fast food restaurant in Kent, but was not caught despite driving his own car at the time.
He went on to kidnap, rape and murder marketing executive Sarah Everard in March 2021.
Read the full article here
Welcome to our live coverage
09:13 , Holly Evans
Welcome to our live coverage as Dame Elish Angiolini is set to publish her findings into the missed opportunities to catch Sarah Everard’s killer Wayne Couzens.
Follow here for all the latest updates.