Susan Everard has paid tribute to her daughter Sarah, who was murdered five years ago, describing her as a “loving and caring young woman” who “added to the beauty of the world”. Writing in British Vogue, she recalled Sarah’s humour, principles, and love of fashion, saying a photo taken at V festival in 2010 captured a “golden time” when she had her whole life ahead of her.
Susan Everard said she missed swapping recipes, asking for advice, and hearing her daughter’s laugh. She described Sarah as “thoughtful, dependable and highly principled”, with a sharp sense of injustice. Due to Covid restrictions, she had only seen Sarah’s Brixton Hill home on video before clearing it after her death, where she saw how “cleverly she had styled it”.
Sarah Everard, 33, was kidnapped, raped and murdered by off-duty Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021. Couzens is serving a whole-life sentence. The case sparked widespread outrage and scrutiny of police handling of violence against women.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley acknowledged that five years on, some women still do not trust the police, but said progress is being made to “root out” dangerous officers. Women’s Aid chief executive Farah Nazeer said the murder exposed “entrenched misogyny” within the force and called for more action.
