« The full horrific details of his crimes are deeply concerning and raise entirely legitimate questions, » the London Police Department said in a statement.
Following revelations in court that a London police officer used his power to abduct, rape and murder a woman walking home from a friend’s home, police in London are struggling to salvage their image with women, the Associated Press reported. In response, the Metropolitan Police Service put out an advisory outlining how women and girls can protect themselves if they’re suspicious of an officer stopping them on the street. « The full horrific details of his [Wayne Couzens’] crimes are deeply concerning and raise entirely legitimate questions, » the department said. « We completely hear the legitimate concerns being raised and we know women are worried. All our officers are concerned about the impact of these horrific crimes on trust in the police, and we want to do all we can to rebuild that trust. » For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below. The statement Thursday came after evidence presented during Couzens’ sentencing showed that he used his police identification to stop 33-year-old Sarah Everard on March 3,2021, then handcuffed her, threw her in the back of a car and drove her to a remote location where he raped and strangled her. Suggestions that earlier offenses might have been overlooked further stoked outrage. Couzens,48, this week was sentenced to life in prison without the possibly of parole after pleading guilty to Everard’s abduction and murder.
