50 police and security guards intimidated me on dating app says Everard vigil student
THE student at the centre of the Sarah Everard vigil furore yesterday claimed around 50 police and security guards had intimidated her on a dating app.
Images of Patsy Stevenson, 28, being held down and handcuffed by officers at the event in March provoked an outcry.
Since then, Miss Stevenson, a physics student, said around 50 police officers and security guards had liked her profile on the Tinder dating app, in what she believes is a concerted campaign. ‘They were all in uniform
‘It is almost like an intimidation thing’
on their profiles or it said “I’m a police officer”,’ she said.
‘It is almost like an intimidation thing, saying “look we can see you” and that, to me, is terrifying. They know what I went through and they know that I’m fearful of police and they’ve done that for a reason.’
Miss Stevenson told the BBC that ‘about 50’ officers had been involved. She explained she had a Tinder gold account so could see who liked her profile – but she didn’t actively try to match with any of the officers.
Hundreds attended the vigil on Clapham Common in south London following the murder of Miss Everard by Met firearms officer Wayne Couzens. The image of Miss Stevenson being arrested became synonymous with the heavy-handed policing at the event, which had been banned due to Covid.
Since then, the women’s rights activist claimed she has received death and kidnap threats. She said: ‘I just want to be able to live the way you live without fear. But then again, I’m a woman.’ She added that she didn’t sleep for days after being held down by two officers and issued with a £200 fine.
Miss Stevenson has since launched legal action against the Metropolitan Police over the arrest. She has also reported the death threats – but not the dating app officers.
She yesterday called on bosses to start ‘taking accountability’ for officers’ actions.
Miss Stevenson also said the Met’s advice last week, that women should flag down a bus if they have concerns when stopped by an officer, was ‘part of the problem’. ‘Stop telling women how to change their behaviour just to stay alive,’ she added.
Scotland Yard yesterday asked Miss Stevenson to provide more details about her dating app claim so it can establish if its officers were involved and ‘whether any misconduct may have occurred’.