Everard family – Sarah died because he was a police officer
Sarah Everard was murdered in March 2021
The Everard family have released a statement following publication of the report.
Miss Everard’s mother Sue, father Jeremy, sister Katie and brother James said:
It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in relative 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.
James Cleverly – Sarah Everard failed by those meant to keep her safe
James Cleverly said Ms Everard’s murder ‘shocked the nation to its core’
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.
Metropolitan Police chief – We must go further and faster to earn back trust
Sir Mark Rowley has given his reaction to the Angiolini report
Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has said the report into Wayne Couzens has provided an “urgent call” to police officers to earn back the trust of the public.
Responding to Lady Elish Angiolini’s report, Sir Mark 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.”
The Angiolini report found Sarah Everard’s killer should never have been given a job as a police officer and chances to stop the sexual predator were repeatedly ignored and missed.
Wayne Couzens sexually assaulted a child, report reveals
Firstly, let’s take a look at our story published when the embargo was lifted at 10.30am.
Wayne Couzens had a history of offending dating back to 1995
Wayne Couzens sexually assaulted a child, attempted to kidnap a woman at knife point and was reported to police eight times for exposing himself in the years before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, a damning inquiry has found.
The former Metropolitan Police officer had a long history of sexual offending dating back to 1995 but was never arrested or prosecuted and was able to pass police vetting and become an armed officer with both the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) and the Met.
A long awaited report by Dame Elish Angiolini into Couzens, published on Thursday, said there was a “lamentable and repeated failure” to deal with allegations reported to police before Miss Everard’s murder in south London in March 2021.
She said there were “major red flags and missed opportunities to halt Wayne Couzens’ career and bring him to justice”.
Read more: Wayne Couzens sexually assaulted a child, report reveals
Hello
The Telegraph will be providing live updates following publication of a report that found Sarah Everard’s killer Wayne Couzens should never have been given a job as a police officer and chances to stop the sexual predator were repeatedly ignored and missed.
Publishing her findings on Thursday, inquiry chairwoman Lady Elish Angiolini warned without a radical overhaul of policing practices and culture, there is “nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight”.
Three different police forces “could and should” have stopped Couzens from getting a job as an officer, she said, as she identified a catalogue of failings in how he was recruited and vetted, and how allegations against him were investigated.
We will bring you the latest reaction as police and politicians digest Lady Elish’s findings.