London police have been criticized by political officials for calling for an investigation after a crackdown on a crowd, mostly women, gathered on Saturday night in memory of a 33-year-old woman who was abducted and killed shortly after her release. charges against a police officer charged with a crime.
The murder of Sarah Everard, who went missing on the night of March 3 in Clapham Common, south London, while walking back to her home in Brixton has caused anger and fear among women for their safety, but also resentment for the failure of the police and society at large to tackle this phenomenon.
Early Saturday a makeshift flower and candle monument was erected around Clapham Common in south-west London, near where Everard was last seen alive.
The Duchess of Cambridge Kate was among the people who paid tribute to the young woman. A palace official said Kate “remembered what it was like to walk the streets of London at night before she got married”.
Late last night about a thousand people – mostly women – gathered at the site in memory of Everard to protest the insecurity they feel when they are alone outside. Some shouted “shame on you” to the police officers who were present.
The “Reclaim These Roads” movement wanted to stage a vigil, but the London Metropolitan Police said people should not gather because of restrictive measures against the new coronavirus pandemic, warning of fines. Crescent Dick, head of the London police force, said any vigil “would be illegal and unsafe”.
As tensions began to escalate into the night, police officers appeared on video dragging to remove many women who had gathered at Clapham Common.
Police did not immediately say how many people were arrested.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan – who is in charge of policing in the city – spoke of “unacceptable” images that the police response was “in some cases neither appropriate nor proportionate” and added that he had asked Dick for an urgent explanation.
Labor leader Kir Starmer described the scenes as “very worrying” and Interior Minister Priti Patel said she also wanted police to respond to the “disturbing” images.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he and his wife, Carrie Simonds, would light a candle in Everard’s memory.
“I will do everything I can to ensure that the roads are safe and that women and girls are not harassed or abused,” he said.
Appearing in Westminster Court in London on Saturday morning, 48-year-old police officer Wayne Cousins, wearing a gray uniform, spoke only to confirm his identity.
Cousins’s lawyer did not object to the kidnapping and murder charges before Tuesday’s scheduled court hearing. Cousins ​​will remain in custody.
Police found Everard’s body on Wednesday in a wooded area about 50 miles southeast of London.
Cousins ​​joined the Metropolitan Police in 2018 and served as a security guard at foreign embassies before his arrest.
The British Police Control Committee has launched an investigation into the handling of the Metropolitan Police case.
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