Officer suspected of murder and indecent exposure in a case that raised serious concerns about the safety of women in the UK.
Police surveillance in England and Wales launched an investigation at the Metropolitan Police Service (Met) in London on the treatment of alleged indecent exposure by a police officer suspected of murdering a 33-year-old woman.
The Independent Police Conduct Office (IOPC) said in a statement on Thursday that it will consider whether the force “responded appropriately” to the reported incident, which occurred three days before Sarah Everard’s disappearance.
The IOPC announcement came at a time when women in the UK shared their fears and anger about how insecure they felt when walking on the streets after Everard disappeared in London last week, and the subsequent arrest of a Met police officer on suspicion of your kidnapping and murder.
A “Reclaim the Streets” vigil was organized for Saturday night in south-west London, near where Everard was last seen, in an attempt to highlight the challenges facing women.
It was not yet clear whether the event would take place, with police raising concerns that the event might violate COVID-19 blocking restrictions.
Similar events have been planned for other cities and towns.
Found remains
Everard, 33, disappeared shortly after 21:00 GMT, while walking home from a friend’s apartment in the capital on March 3.
His image, smiling at the camera or captured by CCTV that night, was published in UK newspapers throughout the week.
On Wednesday, London police chief Cressida Dick said police officers investigating his case found “what appears to be human remains” in a forest near Ashford, a town in the neighboring county of Kent.
The Met had previously confirmed that one of its officers on duty, a 40-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murder on Tuesday night in Kent, as part of the ongoing investigation into Everard’s disappearance. The man remains in custody.
A woman in her 30s was also arrested at the same location on suspicion of helping a criminal. She has since been released on bail.
‘Terrible crime’
The arrested police officer was reported to the police on February 28 on charges of indecent exposure at a fast food restaurant in South London.
In announcing its investigation on Thursday, the IOPC said it received a voluntary referral from the Met because of a conduct issue regarding the indecent exposure case.
The watchdog also said it would investigate how the suspect suffered head injuries while in custody, which required hospital treatment; the police said the policeman was injured when he was alone in his cell after his arrest.
Although her remains have not yet been formally identified, Everard’s family paid tribute to her on Thursday, saying that her “beautiful daughter Sarah was taken from us and we are asking for any information that will help resolve this terrible crime”.
“Sarah was brilliant and beautiful – a wonderful daughter and sister. She was kind and caring, caring and trustworthy, ”said the family in a statement.
The statement was made when lawmaker Jess Phillips, head of the opposition Labor Party’s policy on domestic violence, read in Parliament the names of all 118 women murdered by men last year.
“The message that needs to be sent is that male violence is something that must be faced and challenged, and the justice system and society must wake up to that,” said Phillips.