Wayne Couzens’ case is so sickening that women’s trust in the police will need to be rebuilt
OUR thoughts today are with Sarah Everard, her family, and her friends.
A young woman’s life was taken in truly horrific circumstances and it is right that the perpetrator of this sickening crime will face life behind bars.
Sarah’s family and friends are now also living their own terrible life sentence, as we heard in their own words.
In our different roles we have listened to the pain of Sarah’s family, and the pain of other families who have lost their daughters, sisters, mothers to violent men.
We’ve also listened to the many women and girls who have bravely shared their experiences of harassment, abuse and violence online.
We share the same commitment to radically reduce the prevalence of violence against women and girls.
When we spoke [yesterday], we talked about what needs to be done to ensure women and girls are free to walk our streets without the slightest fear.
Some of this work will be led by government, some by the police and some by courts, education, local authorities.
Just like when the Government launched the consultation last year to hear directly from the public, this work will be informed by women and girls themselves and the many experts and organisations in this space.
The harsh reality is there are too many victims in society and too many of them are women or girls.
We are both focused on doing more to prevent more women becoming victims and on relentlessly challenging and disrupting the men who seek to harm them.
We have committed to work together in our different roles to raise the bar in how this country tackles these crimes, whether they are behind closed doors or in public places.
The sickening circumstances of Sarah’s murder also mean that we need to ensure women feel they can trust the police, so we will work together wherever we can to rebuild this trust.
With Sarah and her family in our thoughts and prayers, we will continue to do all we can so Sarah’s death leaves a legacy of change for women and girls.
