Sarah Everard: Met faces investigation over indecent exposure report

Police watchdog to examine actions of two officers after force refers itself

The Metropolitan Police faces an investigation into the actions of two of its officers following a report of indecent exposure against a serving officer, who was later arrested in the Sarah Everard case.

The police watchdog has launched an independent probe into whether officers responded appropriately after they received a report on 28 February that a man had exposed himself at a fast food restaurant in south London.

The Met Police (MPS) said it voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to the pair.

A separate investigation will look at the actions of police after they received a report of Ms Everard’s disappearance. 

The 33-year-old vanished while walking home from a friend’s flat in south London last Wednesday, her suspected kidnap and murder prompting anger over the safety of women on the UK’s streets.

Wayne Couzens, the Met police officer suspected of kidnapping and murdering her, was taken to hospital for a head injury that happened while he was in custody. Police have been given more time to question him.

The protection officer, whose main job was uniformed patrol of diplomatic premises, was arrested on Tuesday night on suspicion of kidnap before being further arrested on suspicion of murder and a separate allegation of indecent exposure the following day.

The IOPC said in a statement: “Our investigation will look at the actions of the MPS after police received a report on 28 February that a man had exposed himself at a fast food restaurant in south London.”

The latest move brings the number of investigations the Met is facing to five.

The force had already made two referrals of itself – one voluntary and one mandatory – to the IOPC linked to the conduct of the arrested officer, which are being investigated locally.

“On Wednesday, we determined that two conduct referrals relating to kidnap, murder and indecent exposure allegations against the arrested officer should remain under local investigation by the force,” the watchdog said.

The force also made a mandatory referral to the watchdog over the actions of officers after Ms Everard was reported missing. That is still being assessed.

And it made a further mandatory referral on Thursday over police contact with the officer over his head injury. This is also being assessed to determine what further action may be required, the IOPC said.

The force said the suspect was being monitored by CCTV before he was injured, and he received immediate first aid.

In a statement it said it was “offering every assistance” to the IOPC.

Detectives investigating Ms Everard’s disappearance said late on Wednesday that remains had been found in an area of woodland in Ashford, Kent.

A significant police presence remained at the site on Thursday with a wide perimeter.

Mr Couzens, a serving police officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, had earlier been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and murder.

The police force said the arrested officer’s main job was uniformed patrol of diplomatic premises, but would not specify where he had worked. He was not on duty at the time of Ms Everard’s disappearance.

The diplomatic protection squad is responsible for guarding the parliamentary estate including Downing Street and the Palace of Westminster, as well as embassies in London.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick sought to reassure the public in the wake of Wednesday’s developments, saying “it is thankfully incredibly rare for a woman to be abducted from our streets”.

She added: “But I completely understand that, despite this, women in London and the wider public – particularly those in the area where Sarah went missing – will be worried and may well be feeling scared.”

Ms Dick said the news that a Metropolitan Police officer had been arrested in connection with the investigation had “sent waves of shock and anger through the public and the whole of the Met”.

“I speak on behalf of all my colleagues in the Met when I say we are utterly appalled at this dreadful news,” she said. “Our job is to patrol the streets and to protect people.”

Investigators are working “around the clock” on what Ms Dick described as a “very fast-moving” case.

The remains have not yet been identified and it could take some time to do so, she added.

A vigil called “Reclaim these streets” has been organised on Facebook and is due to take place at Clapham Common bandstand at 6pm on Saturday.

Organisers said: “It’s wrong that the response to violence against women requires women to behave differently. In Clapham, police told women not to go out at night this week. Women are not the problem.

“We’ve all been following the tragic case of Sarah Everard over the last week. This is a vigil for Sarah, but also for all women who feel unsafe, who go missing from our streets and who face violence every day.”

Additional reporting by agencies