Sarah Everard report finds quarter of forces lack basic policies on sexual offences
A report commissioned four years after the rape and murder of Sarah Everard found that more than a quarter of police forces in England and Wales were not implementing basic policies for investigating sexual offences.
The final stage of the Angiolini Inquiry found urgent action is needed to prevent further violence and sexual assault against women and girls, including by targeting predatory men.
Lady Elish Angiolini KC, who chaired the inquiry, said there was a disparity between how forces tackled violence against women and other high-priority crimes “where funding and preventive action are the norm”.
Ms Everard was kidnapped and killed by police officer Wayne Couzens as she walked home in south London in March 2021.
Couzens, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, had been working as a police officer for almost 20 years before killing Ms Everard.
He allegedly indecently exposed himself on two separate occasions in the months before the attack.
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) has been described as a “national threat” and in 2023 the government underlined that police forces must coordinate their responses and resources to combat such crimes in line with other national threats.
Lady Elish added: “Until this inequality is addressed, violence against women and girls cannot credibly be called a ‘national priority’.”
The report also noted concerns about gaps in national data, including how many women reported being victims of rape and other sexually motivated crimes in public spaces.
Lady Elish warned that unless these figures were collected and recorded consistently across all forces, patterns of attacks would not be detected.
Ms Everard’s family said in a statement they hoped the findings of this latest investigation would have “far-reaching consequences”.
“This shows how much work remains to be done to prevent sexually motivated crimes against women and anyone at risk in public spaces,” the statement said.
“Sarah is always in our thoughts and we feel the inquest continues to honor her memory. We recognize the urgent need for positive change.”
New recommendations from the second part of the Angiolini Inquiry include introducing a broader Good Samaritan law and encouraging more people to take action when they see bad behavior through consistent data collection and sharing at national and local levels.
Farah Naz, the aunt of Zara Aleena, who was sexually assaulted and murdered by a prolific criminal in east London in 2022, says she hopes the Good Samaritan legislation she championed will be taken seriously and progressed urgently.
He said: “My niece was walking home. That’s all she did. This report not only examines the specific failings surrounding Sarah and Zara, but also looks at the wider structures, cultural patterns and operational weaknesses that put women and girls at risk in public spaces.”
Other recommendations include better street lighting, improved information about positive masculinity for men and boys, and targeted, consistent public messaging on how to report crimes such as indecent exposure.
