SARAH EVERARD - the search for Justice - Tue 5/3 - bbc 1 9pm

[Blondeshavemorefun]

this case always touches my heart as she was found quite local to me and I remember the searches 🥲

glad her family have the knowledge to help closure if that’s ever possible

The murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police Officer who abducted her as she walked home in March 2021 was a watershed moment for the nation.

It brought to the fore devastating issues within our police forces and highlighted the extent of violence against women and girls in our society - an issue recently declared a national priority alongside terrorism and organised crime.

This new documentary for BBC One and iPlayer looks at the Met’s investigation into Sarah’s murder, how this devastating crime unfolded and its impact.

Told by those closely involved in the case from the outset, many of whom are speaking on camera for the first time, including the Senior Investigating Officer, the Prosecuting Barrister and Sarah’s local MP.

Since Sarah’s murder, the narrative of ‘one bad apple’ has been destroyed. The force was placed in special measures and a major review of the Met Police found a culture of denial, widespread bullying, discrimination, institutional homophobia, misogyny and racism.

The repercussions continue to be far reaching, with police forces up and down the country forced to confront the culture and behaviour in their own ranks.

An Independent Inquiry launched by the Home Office is underway, to examine how this tragedy could happen, and, in the words of the then Home Secretary, the “unimaginable failures in policing” Sarah’s murder has exposed. Since Sarah's case, hundreds of police officers continue to face sexual assault allegations, including one of the UK's most prolific sex offenders, offending over a twenty-year career in the Metropolitan Police.

The film is being made by BBC Studios Documentary Unit. During the making of this film, the production team has been in close contact with Sarah’s parents. They hope that it will bring increased focus to issues of women’s safety, and abuse of power by police and other in positions of authority.

Emma Loach, BBC Lead Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, says: “The murder of Sarah Everard sent shock waves across the country and ignited an urgent conversation about police failings and violence against women and girls. This is an important and timely film and we, like Sarah’s family, hope it will contribute to the ongoing dialogue around the issues raised.”
Sarah Everard: The Search For Justice is a 1x60’ for BBC One and iPlayer, made by BBC Studios Documentary Unit.

It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries. The Executive Producers are Emily Lawson and Kirsty Cunningham, the Director is Lottie Gammon, the Producers are Clio Symington, Celia Jennison and Florence Barrow. The Archive Producer is Peter Scott. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Emma Loach.

FS
Note to editors
Sarah Everard’s family politely request no contact or interview requests are made.
We will not be featuring pictures of Wayne Couzens next to Sarah in the film, and in line with the family's wishes, we would ask that the press respects the same.

I haven't read all the posts and has taken me a whole day to attempt to watch this programme. Happened on my doorstep. Having to watch it in small segments and go for a wail about the sadness, the memories and the injustice.
I wanted to go to Clapham Common at the time to be seen but was terrified by the Met so I chose to go to the place that she was taken. It was peaceful, respectful and overwhelmingly sad.
Often berate myself for not standing up that day but was so scared by the threats from the Met - and not in a job where I can have any sort of negative interaction with the police.
"She was walking home". I have to walk home along that street every day.
Male violence must stop

I watched this last night. I wasn’t going to but I did. Such a hard watch…. Her mums impact statement, when she says she how she feels in the evenings, at the time she was abducted. God.

A few weeks back my husband and I watched “to catch a copper” think it was on channel 4. Documentary about Coppers being investigated for revenge porn/sexual exploitation/assault, misconduct and they just get off or get to “retire” with their nice police pensions. Infuriating.

I’m 45 now and will always remember almost 30 years ago watching a programme in psychology about flashers and it said this is often the first step to rape/murder.

the police fucking acknowledge this in one of the programmes I’ve seen about Sarah’s murder.

the government should be insisting, and providing funding, to investigate any man who exposes himself.

it’s not fucking good enough

And it should include the ones who use dating apps to do it.

Any man found to be flashing should have his driving licence revoked for 5 years. Might focus the mind.

@Pebbles16 - it's really hard watching isn't it. I just hate the way we all feel so threatened to walk around the green spaces of south London.

@ineedtogoshoppingnow thank you - yes I'm still really angry now about the way the police behaved at the vigil - totally unnecessary. My friend and I had been troubled by what we'd heard (both school governors) about the way police treated people of colour but had never seen it directed towards a peaceful and largely white crowd before. Truly eye opening and a salutary lesson about the arrogance of the Met.

'Flag down a bus'

Laughable-where I live,the buses seem to stop running after about 6pm and the ones that do run,are never on time

In fact I rarely see them-no matter where I am

I work with a young lad (18/19?) who is a bit,well,odd

I put it down to him being a bit awkward but his latest hobby is following women around after about 5pm (so it's getting dark-ish)

He's not fussy about who he follows-ive had girls from 12 years old to women who are pensioners tell me he followed them

I've reported him-i don't think he'd hurt them but it's only a matter of time before just following them isn't enough and he pushes the stakes higher

Police don't want to know as walking around isn't against the law-work are saying the same thing but his peers are telling him to back off

He just ignores them and carries on

I honestly think he's another ticking time bomb

Our buses run once an HOUR and stop at 5.30pm. what are they expecting bus drivers to do exactly

In my experience the police are terrible. I was an officer about 23 years ago. And sexism, racism and misogyny was rife. It seems nothing has changed. For a VERY short time.. I dated a police officer (many years after I'd left) and he said he knew of officers that would take advantage of vulnerable women, sleep with prostitutes (inc under age) and so on. I asked him if he had/did this. And I wasn't convinced by his reply. It never went further. The whole force is a disgrace.

What is different between what I say and what other people say? And how they say it? Because I don't see it.

As for suggesting anger management classes: you couldn't be more patronising if you tried.

Imagine if he had it chopped off on the second offence...

The attitude readjustment of men collectively would be very welcome.

Tbh I'm thinking more about how the 'bad apple' argument would be exposed, as it were.

Though someone posted on here about how the bad apple argument is misused anyway. The point of it is that the bad apple in fact turns all the others bad, not that it's all on it's own surrounded by rosy-cheeked good'uns.

Exactly. And the only way to deal with a bad apple is to remove it fast before it rots the others. Which was palpably NOT done and was basically what happened. Men with those views found each other endorsed each others prejudices and egged each other on. And this was the end result.

We also watched that programme, the way they treated vulnerable woman while knowing thry had body cams on and the footage would be seen was horrendous. So completely believable that their behaviour would be worse off camera.
And they just got a (pointless) chat with their supervisor or suspended on full pay! 😳

I know 3 or 4 police officers all really nice, quiet, respectful decent people....I also know one who was a bit of a knob. I'm now thinking the cocky, arrogant one fits right in, and the others are probably a minority!

Watched this last night, utterly heartbreaking. When they were stating things that women do to try to stay safe DH said " You do that, I thought it was just something you did" . No pal, being hyper aware and having to think about using your keys as a potential weapon is a universal female reality.
And before the NAMALT crowd show up, true , its not all men, but we have no idea WHICH men. The 2 seperate incidents when I was a teen of being flashed at, that was 2 men that someone else would have thought good peole, Im sure.

I keep reading about this sort of thing, there are whole communities of young men who are openly into following women around and even filming themselves doing it. Creeps and perverts have always done this but now they seem to be emboldened and not even trying to keep their disgusting activities a secret any more. Which one the one hand is good cos they've weeded themselves out, but on the other hand is shit. Because it's just a sign that things are only getting worse for women- that their terrorisers are so confident and safe in the knowledge they won't be held accountable. They know they can do what they want and the police don't give a shit.

Stories upthread of women being routinely sexually harassed and abused in the workplace- all caught on camera, for fuck sake. An easy enough job to gather and pass on the evidence to the CPS you'd have thought. But no, women don't matter. That's the take home message. We don't matter.
Given the justice system fails us, my only wish upon all these offenders is that some much bigger, stronger man gives them all a good fucking pasting! Wearing a balaclava of course and away from cctv as the police are all over prosecution when men get hurt.

I still feel like there’s not been enough detail given from the police about why on earth his previous offences didn’t result in him losing his job. It said something about the officer that investigated the McDonalds incident was deemed NOT to have been guilty of misconduct- so what- they followed correct procedure, and correct procedure is for a police officer to be able to do this with no repercussions? Not to mention the many other times he’d done similar and worse.

The messages on the group chat he was in about DV victims were absolutely vile. And yet STILL there was the talk of ‘one bad apple’, and I still hear that said now- it’s complete rubbish- yes this guy was a predator, but our system and the people in it, allowed him to get away with it.

I remember the comment from an officer at the time on LBC I think, as I listened to it live, about women ‘needing to be streetwise and know when an officer can arrest them and when they can’t’- I remember shouting at the radio at that stupid comment- and this was who they thought should go on the radio be a spokesperson on the topic!

I just hate that there’s a huge furore when these things happen, but then it slips back to how it always was, what has actually changed? I want to forget that man’s name and will always think of Sarah and her family. Any police officer who sees messages like those on that group, or turns a blind eye when a colleague makes an inappropriate joke or comment about women, carries some responsibility for what happened.

Watched this last night, utterly heartbreaking. When they were stating things that women do to try to stay safe DH said " You do that, I thought it was just something you did" . No pal, being hyper aware and having to think about using your keys as a potential weapon is a universal female reality

I've actually tried to imagine what it's like to be a man. Going home late and not having to check the railway carriage to see who's in it. Getting off the train and debating which way home is best and safest. Not having to have your keys ready. Not asking the taxi driver to drop you at the end of the street so he can't see where you live. Barging along the pavement and not making way. Just the sense of utter fucking entitlement that the world is there for my convenience.

I can't. I really can't. And I think there's the problem - men just can't imagine what it's like for us. Like the DP who asked why the McD's server didn't tip hot coffee over the bloke who exposed himself. Men don't realise that you're constantly checking about you for your own safety and not to escalate a situation in which you're the weaker party.

Haven’t watched it yet as my abusive ex was a police officer who used his position to threaten me into silence for his actions and although the relationship had ended by time Sarah was murdered it triggered all the trauma I had pushed down through his conditioning that he was protected by his job , even when I genuinely believed my life was in danger.

The police generally but the Met especially have an institutional misogyny & abuse of power issue. That so many male officers were behaving like Couzens, like Carrick, like my ex under the leadership of a woman, shows that having women at the top does nothing to protect women when the party line is ‘protect the organisation at all costs’.

The officers who let Couzens through by turning a blind eye, giving him the ‘funny’ nickname, encouraging what is an organisational acceptance of misogyny through banter and general working culture have her blood on their hands.

And before anyone comes out with ‘my son / father / husband is a police officer and would never do this’ I hold the same contempt for those who see what is going on and do nothing because it’s an easier life for them. Silence is compliance and being a good person does not save women from the corrupt ones who rely on the silence of their colleagues to escape consequences.

And before anyone comes out with ‘my son / father / husband is a police officer and would never do this’ I hold the same contempt for those who see what is going on and do nothing because it’s an easier life for them. Silence is compliance and being a good person does not save women from the corrupt ones who rely on the silence of their colleagues to escape consequences.

In an organisation as corrupt as the Met, there are no "good" coppers, only "bad" coppers who enable their sex offender colleagues through silence and "worse" coppers who are sex offenders or actively encourage sex offenders.

Watched this last night. So incredibly awful what happened to Sarah.

So upsetting to hear about all of the previous incidents of sexual violence by the perpetrator. 17....I mean if just one of those incidents had been taken seriously and adequately investigated by police he would have lost his badge and Sarah would still be here.

I recently started a thread where I my path was blocked as in he moved side to side preventing me from getting past (unless I stepped into a main road) by a man, probably a foot taller than me. He was allegedly homeless and very persistently asking for money.

There were loads of posters (probably other women tbf) telling me they'd have given him short shrift, told him to fuck off, that I was stupid for giving him money etc etc. When funnily enough as a small woman (I'm less than 5ft) confronted by someone substantially bigger than me, I don't actually feel particularly empowered to try that! In reality he probably wouldn't have done anything, it was the middle of the day on a main road...but I still felt threatened.

@Fizbosshoes you couldn't have done anything different - you were experiencing a fight/flight/freeze/fawn reaction and made a split second decision to best protect yourself.

The victim blaming of women in these situations is appalling. Sarah could not have done anything differently.

There needs to be more collective responsibility to protect women from male violence - we physically can't do it ourselves when faced with a potential aggressor twice our size.

There was a shocking bit in the documentary when a police officer suggested women afraid of being arrested flag down a bus or run...why did he not suggest that bus drivers, seeing women in a vulnerable situation being arrested by a lone officer radio in to their control room to get it checked out? Why did he not suggest that bystanders/ passing vehicles stop to ask the woman if she needs help?

Having in my working life (I'm retired now) worked in two places where I was the only female employee, I was genuinely shocked at some of the language and attitudes of the males when they are all together. I'm absolutely certain their wives would have dropped dead in shock had they known what their husbands said and did out of their earshot. Of course NAMALT, but more than you think are different when at work than at home.

I’m rather on the fence about the vigil. If you read the official report, it’s quite clear that it was individuals in the crowd who escalated the situation and some of the behaviour towards the police officers was absolutely disgraceful.