Incident with Police Officer in 2008

[ChangeUserAgain]

In 2008 I was 21 and out for one of many nights out with friends. I was leaving Heaven nightclub in London quite drunk with no handbag and away from the friends I had gone out with. with no fear I struck up a conversation with a policeman who pulled up and asked him for a lift home (as if he had nothing better to do) . He agreed and I got in to the car with him some time during this time I am not sure of the exact timeline, he pulled out handcuffs put them on me “for a laugh” and tried to kiss me. I pushed him off annoyed and he dropped me at London Paddington Station.

I was reading the news, as we all were, about poor Sarah Everard and thought back at that moment but it wasn’t until I come across a picture of Couzens in 2008 that it kind of took me back. In my mind it was the man that picked me up. But perhaps it wasn’t, who knows, but I can’t help thinking why on earth didn’t I report this ? I’m so angry with myself I was so irresponsible and almost conditioned in life to expect males to act like this with me (I was previously raped and sexually assaulted in two separate incidents).
My mum thinks I should I report the incident now in case there are other enquiries dating back to that time but I think I was drunk and it was years ago I couldn’t even say the exact month it happened.

@Kosmoceratops

This has been covered & also pointed out by me that he was with Kent police in 2008. I knew thus

Do what feels good for you and only if you feel strong enough. It is not that all those policemen who dismiss concerns of women and actively fail to protect them are going to change overnight because Couzens was jailed. I would report but leave it at it.

It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t Couzens, police shouldn’t be picking up girls and put them on handcuffs as a joke.

I’ll report it online in the very slim but albeit important chance that it may be relevant somewhere. I’ll then file it back in my “ some shit that happened to me” section of my mind and say no more about it.

Thanks everyone

Good choice op. The right thing to do on all counts.

No it doesn’t matter but the op said she thought it might be him so people are pointing out that it wasn’t

Agree with those saying do whatever feels right. It’s not your responsibility to safeguard for others if it’s going to cause you stress etc. If you had genuine evidence that may help a specific case then I’d say yes you have a duty to report it, but to put a tiny piece in a huge puzzle of male violence and intimidation, that’s not your job. It should be the fucking police force’s job. But hey.

If you feel like it would be beneficial to get this off your chest and have it on record somewhere then please do so. Don’t worry about whether ANYONE else thinks it’s worthwhile or not.

I wouldn't necessarily report it as a crime, unless you wish to, but I might write and tell the head of the force there, sort of as a historical complaint and set out what you hope they might do in response.

I can really empathise with you @ChangeUserAgain. I had a similar feeling the first time I saw a photo of John Warboys (the taxi driver in London convicted of multiple rapes).

I recognised him straight away. I lived and socialised in Central London during the period he was offending. I know I've been in his cab. I know I felt uncomfortable at the time. But I also know that nothing happened. It is a very unnerving feeling and there will be many, many women who came into contact with WC who are now feeling unnerved.

FWIW, I think you should report what happened. There are many people questioning whether WC's offending started much earlier. Every piece of a jigsaw is important.

I knew it may not have been him of course but something in my minds eye clicked in that early photo of him. I just thought if he was off duty miles from home when he abducted poor Sarah he could have been lurking outside nightclubs in 2008 no matter where he worked. I didn’t ask for or see ID I just wanted a lift home, foolish girl that I was.

Report. It may well be that they'll never track down who did it, but just as others have said, it adds to the picture of systemic behaviour within the police force. And little things like this really can help big pictures come together if other crimes were committed.

Historical complaint. That is a good idea @GoWalkabout then they can take from it what they may need.

You weren't a foolish girl - you trusted a police officer, why wouldn't you? Most of us have been brought up to view them as people you can trust and turn to in your time of need - that's what makes this case so horrific.