Owami Davies: Missing woman was ‘vulnerable’ and ‘sleeping on street’ when Met Police spoke to her
‘Owami Davies was clearly vulnerable by virtue of the fact that she was asleep on the street,’ Met said, as search for missing nurse continues
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A missing Black woman was sleeping rough and “vulnerable” when encountered by officers who let her go, police have said.
Owami Davies, 24, from Essex, left her family home on 4 July and was last seen just after midnight in Derby Road, West Croydon, south London, on 7 July, but has not been found.
Ms Davies’s family reported her missing to Essex Police on 6 July and the force handed the investigation to the Metropolitan Police on 23 July.
On Saturday, the Met revealed its officers had spoken to Ms Davies in Croydon on 6 July after responding to reports concerning her safety, but didn’t know she was classified as missing because Essex Police did not update the Police National Computer (PNC) with that information.
Have you been affected by this story? If so email nadine.white@independent.co.uk
The force told a press briefing on Monday: “The lady who called the police was concerned about her welfare.
“It was a natural thing for her to do, call the police, and we called the ambulance from that point because of the circumstances of how the officers found her.
“There was no inference of any crime being committed. She was clearly vulnerable by virtue of the fact that she was asleep on the street.”
Officers were called to an address in Clarendon Road, Croydon, that day to concerns over the welfare of a woman.
Police attended and called the London Ambulance Service before speaking to the woman. However, she told them she did not want help and left the address before the ambulance service could attend.
The Met only later established that the woman was Ms Davies, who was studying nursing at King’s College London, as a result of their missing person investigation.
The force said its professional standards body was consulted and is not investigating the officers. But it said the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) had requested the matter be referred to it.
In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) were consulted and as there has been contact with police, the IOPC were informed.
“The IOPC has requested the matter be referred to them. The officers are not subject to any current investigation by the DPS.
“The interaction recorded on the officers’ body-worn video has been viewed by members of the Independent Advisory Group and Owami’s family to ensure openness and transparency.”
The IOPC said in a statement: “We can confirm that we received a referral on 5 August from the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to contact officers had with Owami Davies in Croydon on 6 July, after she had been reported missing to Essex Police.
“We are currently assessing the available information to determine what further action may be required.”
The Met has issued several appeals for information over Ms Davies’s whereabouts and arrested five people – two on suspicion of murder and three on suspicion of kidnap – all of whom were later released on bail.
The force issued a fresh appeal at the beginning of last week, saying Ms Davies could be in Croydon and “in need of help”.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments