The Sarah Everard case has been closed and the perpetrator has been convicted. Only a short time later, a police officer is again the focus of rape investigations.
London – The trial of the murder of the Londoner Sarah Everard, which kept Britain in suspense, is over and the murderer is convicted. But just days after the verdict, another British capital city policeman was charged with rape. As Scotland Yard announced, it is a 46-year-old officer who served in the same unit as the murderer Everards, who was sentenced to life in prison last week. Both were responsible for protecting Parliament and diplomatic buildings in London. The man will be brought before the judge on Monday (October 4th, 2021), it said.
Scotland Yard chief Cressida Dick was deeply concerned about the case. “I fully understand that the public is also concerned,” Dick was quoted in the press release. The alleged act is said to have occurred in the county of Hertfordshire, north of London, outside of the defendant’s working hours.
London: Sarah Everad was kidnapped and murdered by a police officer
The 33-year-old Londoner Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered in March. It later emerged that the perpetrator, a police officer, had arrested and kidnapped her for allegedly violating the Corona rules. The case crumbled confidence in the UK police force and sparked a wave of outrage over violence against women in the country.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused the police over the weekend of not taking violence against women seriously enough. However, he declined an independent investigation into Everard’s murder. Instead, the entire handling of rape, domestic violence, sexual violence and complaints from women about harassment must be systematically investigated, said the Prime Minister on Sunday (October 3rd, 2021) on BBC television. Too often investigations ended without conviction because prosecutors didn’t work closely enough with the police, criticized Johnson.
UK: Police violence against women
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. (ktho / dpa)
