A London Metropolitan Police officer has been charged with the kidnap and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard, whose disappearance on a walk home has reignited a national debate in Britain on women’s safety and sexual assault.
Officer Wayne Couzens,48, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday for his first hearing. He has been remanded in custody and will next appear in court at the Old Bailey in London on March 16, according to Met Police. Everard disappeared on March 3 while walking in Clapham, south London, prompting an extensive police search in the area. Her remains were eventually found more than 50 miles from where she was last seen. A post-mortem examination will now take place on Everard’s remains. Couzens, a police officer whose «primary role was uniformed patrol duties of diplomatic premises,» was arrested in Kent on Tuesday. He was charged on Friday, according to a statement from Rosemary Ainslie, the CPS’ head of special crime. The Independent Office for Police Conduct, a police watchdog, said in a statement on Thursday that it had started an independent investigation into police actions involving the suspect. Everard’s disappearance has prompted thousands of women to share their own experiences of intimidation or harassment while walking alone at night across the country — and around the world. Many also exchanged notes on the habitual precautions they take to try to stay safe when they walk alone — like clutching keys between their knuckles, pretending to talk to someone on the phone, or not wearing headphones at night — and voiced their anger and frustration that it feels like a necessary step. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, remembers what it felt like to walk around London at night before she got married, a royal source said. The duchess made a private visit to the memorial for Everard in Clapham on Saturday, the source said. She wanted to pay her respects to Everard and her family. In a statement on Friday, the Met said that in «the interests of clarity about these exceptional events,» it was releasing further details of Couzens’ employment with the force.
