because without that happening, women in london in particular, are not going to trust the police and that has catastrophic consequences. it means the public don't come forward to the police when they are victims or witnesses. j forward to the police when they are victims or witnesses.— victims or witnesses. i think are really striking — victims or witnesses. i think are really striking part _ victims or witnesses. i think are really striking part of _ victims or witnesses. i think are really striking part of that - victims or witnesses. i think are | really striking part of that report of those findings was that it said, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another couzens operating in plain sight. are you confident that change can happen? are you confident that change can ha en? , . are you confident that change can ha . en? , ., , are you confident that change can ha en? , ., ,., are you confident that change can hauen? , . w. happen? yes, that is a chilling conclusion. — happen? yes, that is a chilling conclusion, isn't _ happen? yes, that is a chilling conclusion, isn't it? _ happen? yes, that is a chilling conclusion, isn't it? but- happen? yes, that is a chilling conclusion, isn't it? but it's. happen? yes, that is a chilling| conclusion, isn't it? but it's the right conclusion because until we put people through measures in policing that you would expect in most normal walks of life, until we are checking on people's backgrounds, looking at the social media, doing face—to—face interviews in order to appoint them to jobs, when we undertake vetting, making sure that we visit police officers homes. if you adopt a stray puppy, people come and visit your home. the idea of someone coming to check you out if you are about to become a police officer add all the powers that entails, that is unthinkable. police leaders in england and wales have absolutely no option than to respond rapidly and at to these fairly straight forward recommendations that will cost additional money that absolutely necessary if we are to restore public trust in policing right now. another thing that struck me was just a number of recommendations at different points of his employment from the initial vetting process to his liking for violent and extreme pornography, and those sides. it seems that there were signs most all throughout his employment throughout the metropolitan police.— the metropolitan police. absolutely, and not only — the metropolitan police. absolutely, and not only the _ the metropolitan police. absolutely, and not only the metropolitan - and not only the metropolitan police. he was a special constable, which is effectively a volunteer police officer in kent. he worked for the civil nuclear constabulary as well so there were stages during his career when there was intelligence on the police computer, most alarmingly, intelligence about him being a suspect for indecent exposure, which clearly wasn't taken seriously at the time, that should have caused those officers responsible for that aim to look much harder and much more forensically at couzens's background. that didn't happen and it is heartbreaking for sarah's parents that those opportunities were missed. actual police investigations of crimes or alleged crimes, crimes reported to them, on two occasions, couzens was in his vehicle and the number plate were identified back to him as a serving pad that it might police officer. that still wasn't enough to raise alarm bells to take immediate action there and then. that goes back to 2015. and again in 2021. it is a fair certainty in the conclusions that had those officers acted on the way that they shed, then sarah may well be alive today. fix, way that they shed, then sarah may well be alive today.— well be alive today. a reminder that the family of— well be alive today. a reminder that the family of sarah _ well be alive today. a reminder that the family of sarah everard - well be alive today. a reminder that the family of sarah everard have - the family of sarah everard have said that they believe that the 33—year—old died because he was a police officer, because wayne couzens was a serving police officer and said she would never have got into a stranger's car. i am also interested to ask, can other institutions learn lessons from this inquiry? does it go beyond the metropolitan police? i inquiry? does it go beyond the metropolitan police?— inquiry? does it go beyond the metropolitan police? i think the issue around _ metropolitan police? i think the issue around acceptability - metropolitan police? i think the issue around acceptability of. issue around acceptability of behaviours in the workplace is something that applies to people across the public and the private sector. they may list looks carefully at the culture within policing. the acceptance of banter, for example, which is effectively homophobic and sexist behaviour and language, being seen as the norm and i think there are lessons for all of us working in public service that someone�*s banter in someone else�*s bullying. and there should be no place for this within our workforce. members of staff need to be supported and encouraged to step forward to report inappropriate behaviours. i have worked in policing in a while and i know that where police officers have been rooted out inappropriate behaviours, it is often because their colleagues have identified behaviours which aren't criminal offences but something just doesn't seem right. there's something about that individual, may be close to you, paying too much attention to victims of vulnerable, victims of domestic abuse, they sense there is a not quite right about that person. and they call those behaviours out and we need to see more of that happening within policing. and those that call others behaviours need to be protected and supported, not as in the past has happened, being shunned and ostracised. figs in the past has happened, being shunned and ostracised.- in the past has happened, being shunned and ostracised. as he said, ou have shunned and ostracised. as he said, you have worked _ shunned and ostracised. as he said, you have worked in _ shunned and ostracised. as he said, you have worked in policing - shunned and ostracised. as he said, you have worked in policing for - shunned and ostracised. as he said, you have worked in policing for a - you have worked in policing for a while. how difficult is it to call out those assigned within the force? it is difficult if there is a culture of closing ranks, a close culture of closing ranks, a close culture were you are expected to be, and i have heard this descriptive and i have heard this descriptive and female officers, you are expected to be one of the lads, you are expected to join expected to be one of the lads, you are expected tojoin in expected to be one of the lads, you are expected to join in with the banter, that kind of locker room, jokey, inappropriate poor language, poor respect to women and other people within our communities. so it is an enormous task for organisations to turn that culture around but it starts with leadership and leadership starts with taking action and what we want to see today is police leaders up and run down the country, notjust down those three forces affected specifically ljy three forces affected specifically by this report, welcoming these recommendations and setting out to their public how they will make those changes so that you and i as women, if in our moment of need, we call the police late at night, we are not doubting whether or not that person crossing our threshold is someone to protect us or someone to predate on us. we have to say, as we always do, there are of fantastic police officers up and down the land police officers up and down the [and who do a brilliantjob day in, day out, running towards danger on our behalf, whose heads will be hanging in shame that this stain on policing in shame that this stain on policing in the form of couzens was able to operate in the first place. and the sooner that reece see action being taken on trust being restored, that whole pride in policing, which is an honourable profession, that whole pride in policing can then be restored. pride in policing can then be restored-— restored. just finally, how reassured _ restored. just finally, how reassured can _ restored. just finally, how reassured can women - restored. just finally, how reassured can women andj restored. just finally, how - reassured can women and girls feel ljy reassured can women and girls feel by this inquiry? obviously, there was a huge emphasis on misogyny in the police force, about tackling that culture. is this reassuring for women and girls he will have been concerned over the last few years? i concerned over the last few years? i think most of the inquiry will be confirming a lot that was feared that victims are quite often not being listened to, or taken seriously when they step forward. we see that often in the awful failings of investigations in respect to indecent exposure but i think people will be encouraged to hear that police forces are finally putting in place stringent measures to stop people who are coming into policing so that they can prey on vulnerable people so that the vetting measures, the retreating measures that are in some of the 16 recommendations, if they are put in place, then there will be more certainty that the individuals that we encounter day—to—day on the streets in the police uniform are trusted and i'm not there to prey on us.— police uniform are trusted and i'm not there to prey on us. thank you so much for— not there to prey on us. thank you so much for your _ not there to prey on us. thank you so much for your time. _ not there to prey on us. thank you so much for your time. just - not there to prey on us. thank you so much for your time. just a - so much for your time. just a reminder that we will be bringing you a statement from james cleverly, the home secretary, who is going to be responding to the inquiry into the murder of sarah everard. a reminder that that inquiry has found that couzens should never have been a police officer, that the initial vetting process when couzens joined the met in 2018 was flawed, we inquiry also highlighted couzens's liking for violent and extreme pornography and his history of alleged sexual offending which has dated back nearly 20 years. it also highlighted that three police forces failed to spot couzens's unsuitability for office and it's damning, it was damning in its review of cultures within police forces and says that couzens's crime to sit on the same quantum sexist and misogynistic behaviour. there were also calls for a radical overhaul of police vetting and recruitment and chillingly, the inquiry says that without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another couzens operating in plain sight. there has been reaction from the family of sarah everard, who say that their daughter died because wayne couzens was a police officer, adding that she would never have got into a stranger's car. we will be bringing you that statement from the home secretary james cleverly shortly but our reporter was outside the press conference. 16 recommendations have come out of this report. i think that they can be broadly categorised into three separate areas. firstly, how the force deals of allegations of indecent exposure. let's ta ke let's take you live to the house of commons by the home secretary is making a statement on the inquiry. three years ago, sarah everard was abducted, raped and murdered by an off duty serving police officer. it was a gut—wrenching betrayal, and abuse of power of the most egregious kind. and the country was shaken to its core. my predecessor, established in inquiry to examine the many failings arising from the sarah everard case, that was chaired by lady elish angiolini. part one focuses on wayne couzens's career and previous behaviour. a report dealing with part one�*s findings has today been published. first and foremost, i would take the time to think about sarah everard's family and her loved ones at what must be and her loved ones at what must be an incredibly difficult time. i pay tribute to the mall for the immense dignity that they have shown in the face of such an unbearable loss. tragically, the report identifies that couzens was completely unsuitable to serve as a police officer and worst still, there were multiple occasions where this should, could have been recognised. lady elish found repeated problems in vetting throughout couzens's career, including overlooking his chaotic financial situation force of this meant that he was able to serve in a range of privilege roles, including as a firearms officer. it is appalling, the reports of indecent exposure by couzens were not taken sufficiently seriously by the police, and the officers were not adequately trained, equipped or motivated to properly investigate those allegations. had full inquiries are made in 2015 and 2020, couzens could perhaps, probably would, have been removed from policing. evidence of his preference for extreme and violent pornography and a leisured sexual offending date back nearly 20 years prior to sarah everard's murder. and the inquiry found that couzens was adept at hiding his grossly offensive behaviour from hiding his grossly offensive behaviourfrom most hiding his grossly offensive behaviour from most of his colleagues but that he shed his vile and misogynistic views on a whatsapp view. the other members of that group are no longer serving officers after a range of disciplinary processes. the fact that many of his alleged victims felt unable to report their experience at the time speaks to an issue of confidence in policing among women. i wish to pace on record my thanks to lady elish and her team for this report. it is and her team for this report. it is a deeply distressing but incredibly important piece of work and they have approached it with thoroughness, professionalism and sensitivity. and we all owe thanks to the brave testimony of those who came forward and spoke to the inquiry. everyone who couzens hurt is in my thoughts today. the report makes 16 recommendations and they include improving the police response to indecent exposure, performing police recruitment and vetting practices, and addressing cultures within policing. the government will now of course carefully consider the report and respond formally in due course and i will inform the house. we are taking action to address public confidence in the police. there has already been progress in a number of errors highlighted by the inquiry. anyone who was not fit to wear the uniform for any reason

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