Urgent Action Demanded: Quarter of UK Police Forces Lag on Sexual Offence Policies as Inquiry Slams Failures Post-Everard Murder

Over a quarter of England and Wales police forces have not implemented essential policies for investigating sexual offences, a recent report by the Angiolini Inquiry has revealed. This critical lapse comes four years after the tragic rape and murder of Sarah Everard, underscoring systemic failures within law enforcement.

Lady Elish Angiolini KC, who chairs the comprehensive inquiry, emphasized the immediate need for action to prevent further violent and sexual attacks against women and girls. She highlighted a significant disparity in how forces address violence against women compared to other high-priority crimes, where dedicated funding and preventative measures are commonplace.

Sarah Everard was abducted and murdered in March 2021 by Wayne Couzens, a serving police officer, while she was walking home in south London. Couzens, who had nearly two decades of experience as a police officer, is currently serving a whole life prison term. Prior to the murder, allegations surfaced that he had indecently exposed himself on two separate occasions.

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) has been officially recognized as a “national threat.” In 2023, the government mandated police forces to coordinate their response and resources to tackle these crimes with the same urgency as other national threats. However, Lady Elish asserted that until the existing disparity is rectified, VAWG cannot genuinely be regarded as a “national priority.”

The inquiry also raised serious concerns regarding gaps in national data, particularly concerning the number of women who report being victims of rape and other sexually motivated crimes in public spaces. Lady Elish warned that without consistent data collection and recording across all forces, identifying patterns of offending will remain impossible.

Millenium TV has learned that Sarah Everard’s family issued a statement expressing their hope that these latest inquiry findings would have “far-reaching consequences.” They indicated that the report “shows how much work there is to do in preventing sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces and all those at risk.” The family added that “Sarah is always in our thoughts and we feel the inquiry continues to honour her memory. We stand in recognising the urgent need for positive change.”

Among the new recommendations from part two of the Angiolini Inquiry are calls for a broader Good Samaritan law to encourage more people to intervene when witnessing inappropriate behavior, alongside consistent national and local data collection and sharing. Farah Naz, whose niece Zara Aleena was sexually assaulted and murdered in east London by a prolific offender in 2022, stated her hope that the Good Samaritan law she advocates for will be taken seriously and progress quickly.

Naz explained that her niece “was walking home. That is all she was doing.” She further emphasized that the report “not only examines specific failures surrounding Sarah and Zara but also addresses the wider structures, cultural patterns and operational weaknesses that place women and girls at risk in public space.” Additional recommendations include improved street lighting, enhanced information on positive masculinity for men and boys, and consistent public messaging on how to report crimes such as indecent exposure.