Angiolini Inquiry

On 22 November 2021, Lady Elish Angiolini KC was commissioned by then Home Secretary, Priti Patel, to conduct an independent inquiry as to how off-duty Metropolitan Police officer, Wayne Couzens, had the ability to kidnap, rape, and murder Sarah Everard, a member of the public. One aim of the inquiry was to ensure Everard's family, as well as the public, received a full explanation as to the causes and factors contributing to her murder.

Another aim was to 'bring about greater and earlier recognition of potential sexual and murderous predators, and thereby help improve the safety of women in public spaces'.

Background

On the evening of 3 March 2021, 33-year-old Sarah Everard was kidnapped in South London, England by off-duty Metropolitan Police constable Wayne Couzens. Couzens identified himself as a police officer, handcuffing Everard, and placing her in his car, before driving her to a location near Dover where he raped and strangled her, before burning her body and disposing of her remains in a nearby pond.

Inquiry

Setting up of the Inquiry

Following Couzens' sentence to a whole life order on 30 September 2021, on 22 November 2021, Patel announced to Parliament that an independent inquiry was being launched under the management of Lady Angiolini. Patel stated that the inquiry would be over two parts, with the first establishing how Couzens "was able to serve as a police officer for so long and seek to establish definitive account of his conduct", as well as seeking to understanding "the extent to which his behaviour rang alarm bells with his colleagues."

With the Angiolini Inquiry being designated as a non-statutory inquiry, it meant Everard's family could be given "closure as quickly as possible", with a statutory inquiry's recommendations not being made for a "number of years".

The inquiry interviewed 144 witnesses, which included current and former police officers and staff, as well as other relevant organisations and members of the public.

Part 1

On 10 January 2022, the terms of reference for Part 1 of the inquiry were set as to 'establish a comprehensive account of the career and overall conduct of the killer of Sarah Everard, to identify any missed opportunities, and to make recommendations based on the findings.'

Patel was asked to conclude the first part of the inquiry within nine months from when the terms of reference were set. Whilst work started immediately, there were some delays, due to Couzens, at that time, facing ongoing legal and misconduct proceedings, limiting some aspects of the inquiry proceeding.

The aim of the first part of the inquiry was to 'establish a definitive account of the career and conduct' of Couzens. The report also looked at the years before the incident, establishing a timeline ending at the point where he kidnapped, raped and murdered Everard.

On 29 February 2024, the first part of the Angiolini Inquiry was published. Home Secretary James Cleverly made a statement in the House of Commons in response to the report's publication.

Timeline of career

Timeline of Couzens' offending

Recommendations

Part 1 of the inquiry provided the following recommendations:

Conclusions

Part 2

In May 2023, the terms of reference for Part 2 of the inquiry were set to look at the "recruitment and vetting of police officers, culture and standards in policing, and measures to help prevent sexually motivated violence against women in public spaces."

References

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Police misconduct in England
Public inquiries in the United Kingdom
Sexual abuse in law enforcement