misogyny - Yaqeen Blog - Yaqeen Social™

On the night of March 3, 2021, 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard was walking home from a friend’s house in Clapham, South London. She followed every "safety rule" ingrained in women: she wore bright clothing, stayed on well-lit main roads, and called her boyfriend.

Despite this, she was abducted, raped, and murdered. The perpetrator was not a stranger lurking in the shadows, but Wayne Couzens, a serving member of the Metropolitan Police Service. Using his warrant card and handcuffs, he staged a "fake arrest" for a Covid-19 breach to kidnap her. This betrayal of the police uniform sent shockwaves through the UK and ignited a global conversation about misogyny, male violence, and the systemic failure of law enforcement to protect women.

The Breaking of Public Trust

The revelation that a police officer had used his legal powers to commit a capital crime shattered the foundational principle of "policing by consent."

The Vigil at Clapham Common: Thousands gathered to mourn Sarah, but the police response—which involved pinning women to the ground and making arrests during a peaceful vigil—further damaged the Met’s reputation.
Institutional Failures: It later emerged that Couzens had been nicknamed "The Rapist" by colleagues and had been linked to multiple reports of indecent exposure that were never properly investigated. This raised a harrowing question: How was he allowed to remain a police officer?

Misogyny and the "Boy’s Club" Culture

The case of Sarah Everard was the catalyst for the Casey Review (2023), an independent investigation into the Metropolitan Police's culture. The report was scathing, finding the force to be institutionally racist, misogynistic, and homophobic.

1. The Role of Bias

The review highlighted that crimes against women and girls were often treated as "second-class" priorities. Evidence was stored in overfilled fridges that broke down, and cases were frequently dropped due to a lack of investigative rigor.

2. The "Wrong Un" Narrative

Historically, the Met had a tendency to dismiss bad actors like Couzens as "lone wolves" or "one bad apple." However, the Casey Review argued that the "barrel itself was rotten," citing widespread "WhatsApp culture" where officers shared graphic, misogynistic, and racist content without fear of reprisal.

Legislative and Social Impact

The tragedy led to immediate legislative shifts and a national re-evaluation of women's safety in public spaces.

StreetSafe & Increased Lighting: The UK government doubled funding for neighborhood safety measures, including better street lighting and CCTV.
The Angiolini Inquiry: This inquiry was established to specifically look at how a serving officer was able to commit such crimes and whether the vetting processes for the police were fundamentally broken.
Vetting Overhaul: The Met Police began a massive re-vetting process of its 50,000 officers and staff to root out those with histories of domestic abuse or sexual misconduct.

Conclusion: Can Trust Be Rebuilt?

The murder of Sarah Everard remains a painful wound in the heart of London. It exposed the reality that for many women, the police uniform was no longer a symbol of safety, but a potential threat.

While the Metropolitan Police has launched a "Plan for Reform," the road to rebuilding trust is long. True change requires more than just policy updates; it requires a fundamental dismantling of the misogynistic culture that allowed a predator to hide in plain sight.

misogyny (1)

The Murder of Sarah Everard: A Turning Point for Policing and Women’s Safety