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Met chief admits women's trust in police remains fragile
Five years after Sarah Everard's murder by a serving officer, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has acknowledged that disturbing cases of officers abusing women continue to undermine public confidence in the UK's largest police force.
The Everard case and its aftermath
Everard, 33, was kidnapped while walking home in south London in March 2021 by Wayne Couzens, then a Met police officer. He drove her to Kent, where he raped and murdered her. Couzens received a whole-life prison sentence for the crime.
Sir Mark, who took over as commissioner in September 2022 following Dame Cressida Dick's resignation amid multiple scandals, including the Everard case, told the BBC that the force had removed 1,500 officers and staff since 2022, many for inappropriate behavior toward women.
Progress and persistent challenges
While Rowley insisted more women were coming forward to report allegations, he conceded that rebuilding trust would be a lengthy process. "We haven't reached the point where every woman feels unquestioning trust in the Met," he said. "This horrific incident will linger in memory, but we're making progress, and people are noticing."
Data released by the Met shows 28 staff members were dismissed for sexual misconduct in 2024-25, while another 39 officers would have faced the same fate had they not resigned or retired.
Systemic failures and vetting lapses
In 2023, Baroness Casey's review of the Met uncovered institutional racism, misogyny, and homophobia, revealing that hundreds of officers with misconduct allegations, including sexual offenses, had avoided dismissal. A recent internal report also found the force had lowered vetting standards for recruits and existing staff between 2013 and 2023.
The review revealed that 5,073 officers and staff were not properly vetted, with an estimated 1,200 applicants likely rejected under standard procedures. Additionally, 17,355 officers and staff had incomplete or missing reference checks between 2018 and April 2022.
Despite these findings, Rowley defended the force's efforts: "No organization of 40,000 people can be perfect, but we're determined to uphold integrity at every level-from recruitment to routine reviews and handling allegations."
Charities demand urgent action
Women's rights organizations remain skeptical of the Met's progress. Gemma Sherrington, CEO of Refuge, described women and girls' confidence in policing as "at crisis point" and called for "meaningful, lasting change."
"I think there is a crisis of confidence in terms of women and girls feeling able to report to the police. A lot more needs to be seen and experienced for that to change."
Farah Nazeer, CEO of Women's Aid
Nazeer cited a 2024 report by the independent domestic abuse commissioner, which found only 4% of officers accused of violence against women and girls were dismissed.
Government response
Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, reaffirmed the government's commitment to halving such violence within a decade. She announced a £13.1 million national center to strengthen police responses to these crimes but acknowledged that "more needs to be done" to prevent future tragedies.
"This government is committed to ensuring women and girls can live free from fear and harm-something Sarah was so cruelly denied."
Jess Phillips, safeguarding minister
