A damning official report has revealed that a quarter of police forces in England and Wales have still not implemented fundamental policies for investigating sexual offences. This failure persists nearly four years after the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police officer, which sparked national outrage and vows of systemic reform.
Paralysis in Police Reform
The report, authored by Dame Elish Angiolini, condemns a state of "paralysis" that is preventing crucial improvements in how forces handle crimes against women. It states that sexual crimes against women in public remain "widespread", yet the sweeping changes promised to make streets safer have stalled.
Dame Elish's inquiry was established following the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021. Wayne Couzens, a serving police officer at the time, used his warrant card to falsely arrest Everard as she walked home on a London street.
Unimplemented Recommendations and Ongoing Trauma
This publication marks the second part of Angiolini's report. It highlights that recommendations from her first report, published over a year ago, have yet to be acted upon by many forces. The lack of basic, standardised policies across different constabularies means victims are still being failed by a postcode lottery of support and investigative rigour.
Within the report, Sarah Everard's mother, Susan, shares a poignant statement. She says she remains "tormented" by the horror of what her daughter endured at the hands of Couzens. Her words underscore the profound human cost of institutional failure.
A Systemic Failure to Protect
The findings paint a bleak picture of progress since the tragedy that shook public trust in policing. Despite high-profile commitments to root out misogyny and improve safety, the report suggests core systemic issues in investigating sexual offences remain unaddressed in many parts of the country.
The report serves as a stark reminder that promises made in the wake of Sarah Everard's death have not been universally translated into action. It calls for immediate and accountable implementation of its recommendations to ensure women are genuinely protected and that such a catastrophic breach of trust by a police officer can never happen again.
