Again a police officer in Great Britain is said to have committed a serious crime. There is a parallel with the Sarah Everard case.
London – A few days after the verdict against the murderer of the Londoner Sarah Everard, a colleague of the police officer was charged with rape.
The 46-year-old was taken into custody on Monday. He last worked in the same department as the sentenced to life imprisonment murderer of Everard, as announced by Scotland Yard. Both were responsible for protecting Parliament and diplomatic buildings in London.
The case is said to have occurred on September 4, 2020 in the town of St Albans, northwest of London, when the man was off duty. The police officer, who was arrested and suspended on Saturday, categorically denied the allegations. He had met the woman through an online platform and arranged to meet her for a drink.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for a change in police culture. “Cops need to handle these cases properly, take them seriously, and I want a much shorter time between reporting a crime and being arrested, between being arrested and charged, and between charged and convicted,” said Johnson. There is also a need for more video surveillance and street lighting as well as more female police officers. Over the weekend, Johnson had accused the police of not taking violence against women seriously enough.
However, the prime minister declined an independent investigation into Everard’s murder. The chairman of the parliamentary interior committee, Yvette Cooper of the opposition Labor party, accused the government of burying her head in the sand. It must be clarified how such a dangerous person as the Everard killer was not noticed, Cooper told BBC Radio 4.
Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered in March. It later emerged that the perpetrator, a police officer, had made false arrests for an alleged violation of the corona rules. He then abducted, raped and killed the 33-year-old. As a result, he was sentenced to life in prison last week with no prospect of release. The case crumbled confidence in the UK police force and sparked a wave of outrage over violence against women in the country.
After Everard’s murder, critics denounced a misogynist culture within the police. Insiders report that colleagues who are guilty of assault are covered. The latest case is likely to fuel the debate. The London police chief Cressida Dick emphasized: “I completely understand that the public is also concerned.” Dpa
