Met Police Chief Marks Five Years Since Sarah Everard’s Tragic Murder
Five years on, Sarah Everard should still be with us. Instead, her life was cut short in a brutal betrayal that shook the nation to its core.
Betrayed by One of Their Own
Sarah’s killer was not a stranger, but Wayne Couzens – a serving officer of the Metropolitan Police. The horror of that truth still stings as sharply as the day it was revealed in 2021.
His actions were a sick abuse of power and a gross violation of everything the Met and policing stand for.
Trust Shattered, Anger Boils Over
When Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley first heard the news, he was devastated by the blow to public trust. “What he did shook policing to its core,” Rowley said. The crime left decent officers nationwide outraged that one of their own could commit such a monstrous act.
He expressed deep sorrow for the pain inflicted on Sarah’s family, who have faced their grief with remarkable dignity, and for the damage done to Londoners’ faith in the police.
The Met’s Clean-Up Underway
Since taking charge a year after Sarah’s murder, Rowley has launched an unprecedented crackdown on misconduct within the Met.
- Integrity reset: the largest in UK policing history
- 1,500 officers and staff removed in three years
- Stricter vetting processes and harsher standards
- A decade’s worth of sexual and domestic abuse allegations re-examined
- Successful push for new laws to help weed out offending officers
“We have mobilised the vast majority of officers and staff to confront painful truths about our culture and systemic failings,” Rowley said. This drive to clean up the force continues.
A National Call to Action on Violence Against Women
Sarah’s murder spotlighted the urgent need for wider change in how policing and society tackle violence against women and girls.
The Angiolini Review laid bare the stark reality: too many remain victims who don’t feel safe.
“Millions of women and girls walk London’s streets every day with the right to feel protected, respected, and believed — not fearful, dismissed, or doubted,” Rowley said.
He admitted the Met hasn’t always lived up to that responsibility but vowed to keep repairing trust. “This is not just an operational priority – it is a moral one, and one I am fiercely committed to.”
