The murder of Sarah Everard has crystallised a crisis of faith in the service. It is time for a wider reckoning
The disappearance of Sarah Everard in London in March sparked a wave of outrage at the violence women face. Following the sentencing of her killer, Wayne Couzens, to life in jail, the fury and distrust now centres on the police. No one doubts that the Metropolitan police are “sickened, angered and devastated”. Many worked tirelessly to bring Couzens to justice. But the full, chilling details of the premeditated kidnap, rape and murder, in particular the fact that Couzens staged a false arrest using his warrant card and handcuffs, have deepened the case for a real and urgent reckoning by the institution.
There is no sign that the Met understands the profound crisis of faith that it faces – as serious as those provoked by its failure to investigate Stephen Lawrence’s murder properly or the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. Dogged campaigning by Mr Lawrence’s parents ultimately led to the acknowledgment of institutional racism. Despite the undoubted strides made in tackling sexual violence and domestic abuse, it is time to face up to institutional misogyny.