I’m London’s victims’ tsar – here’s what we must do to stop another Wayne Couzens

It is unthinkable that Sarah Everard’s killer was able to hold a position of authority in the police, writes London’s victims’ commissioner Claire Waxman – we must tackle violence against women and girls

Campaigners have said the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021 was ‘devastating’ and ‘entirely preventable’ (PA)

This will be an extraordinarily difficult day for the family and loved ones of Sarah Everard. I know from my work with bereaved families that such reports and anniversaries are unspeakably painful, and their loss and suffering are at the forefront of my mind. It is also important to remember the victims of police misconduct, especially those women who came forward and bravely shared their experiences for this inquiry; they too will be suffering greatly today. I thank them for their courage in bringing the full history of Wayne Couzens’ abhorrent crimes to light.

Elish Angiolini’s findings are sobering. It is almost unthinkable that a dangerous predator like Couzens was able to hold a position of authority. Today’s report is a defining moment, where all involved in policing and the wider criminal justice system must renew their resolve to tackle violence against women and girls in all its forms, and root out cultures that allow abuse and violence to escalate and thrive.

While it should never have come to this, we know that the murder of Sarah Everard has been a wake-up call for all in policing, and certainly the Met, highlighting the need to urgently raise vetting standards, strengthen anti-corruption teams, and double-down on tackling violence against women and girls.