Priti orders probes into Met’s Everard failures
MeTROPOLITAN Police chief Cressida Dick was under renewed pressure last night as Priti Patel ordered a series of inquiries into the fiasco surrounding Sarah everard’s murderer.
The Home Secretary told the Conservative Party conference she will trigger a full investigation into how killer Wayne Couzens, a serving Met officer, had been allowed to slip through the net.
Miss Patel described the case as an ‘unimaginable failing in policing’.
She told delegates there would be a new two-pronged inquiry into ‘systemic failures’ and the ‘missed opportunities’ to prevent Couzens abusing his police powers to rape and murder Miss everard.
He used his police-issue handcuffs and warrant card to stage a fake arrest of the 33-year-old before luring her to her death in March this year.
The Home Secretary also announced the independent police watchdog will carry out a separate review of police vetting, misogyny and ‘predatory behaviour’ by police officers. Dame Cressida
‘Can never happen again’
had already announced an internal inquiry into why warning signs about Couzens – nicknamed ‘The Rapist’ by colleagues – had gone unheeded.
But the Home Office’s decision to order a series of parallel probes will be interpreted as a lack of faith in Scotland Yard’s ability to address the full extent of its failings.
‘Recent tragic events have exposed unimaginable failures in policing,’ Miss Patel said in her keynote speech to the conference in Manchester.
‘It is abhorrent that a serving police officer was able to abuse his position of power, authority and trust to commit such a horrific crime.
‘The public have a right to know what systemic failures enabled his continued employment as a police officer.
‘We need answers as to why this was allowed to happen.
‘I can confirm today there will be an inquiry to give the independent oversight needed to ensure something like this can never happen again.’
It is understood that the Home Office decided further action was needed after Scotland Yard revealed that a serving police officer had been charged with rape at the weekend. PC David Carrick, 46, who is based within the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, ‘emphatically’ denies the allegations, a court heard on Monday.
Sadiq Khan, Labour’s Mayor of London who has day-to-day oversight of the Met, said: ‘The horrific murder of Sarah everard by a serving police officer has shattered public confidence in the police.
‘That trust has been further eroded by the news of another officer being charged with rape as well as reports of sexism, misogyny, racism and homophobia amongst some groups of officers.’
He added that, following detailed discussions with the Home Secretary, they had agreed a ‘proper inquiry’ was needed to ‘rebuild trust and confidence in the police’.
The first part of Miss Patel’s new probe will examine Couzens’ previous behaviour and will produce a ‘definitive account’ of his conduct leading up to his conviction ‘as well as any opportunities missed’, a Home Office spokesman said.
The second part will look at wider issues such as ‘vetting practices, professional standards and discipline and workplace behaviour’.
The inquiry will have non-statutory status, meaning it will not be able to compel witnesses to give evidence or produce documents. However, it could become statutory at a later date if necessary.
Responding to the announcement, National Police Chiefs’ Council chairman Martin Hewitt said: ‘It’s right for these issues to be fully and independently considered and we will support the
inquiry’s work in every way we can.
‘Police chiefs are listening to women’s voices about what needs to change.’
Among those watching Miss Patel’s keynote speech – and whom she greeted afterwards – was Lissie Harper, the widow of hero PC Andrew Harper who was killed on duty in Berkshire two years ago.