The mother-in-law of the British policeman Wayne Couzens was worried about the “horror” directed at her family, since the officer was accused of kidnapping and killing Sarah Everard.
Nina Sukhoreba said the Mirror that her daughter, Elena, who has been married to a 15-year-old diplomatic protection officer in London for years, was forced to shut down her social networks because of the hate barrage.
Among the messages were those who called Couzenses “bastards,” “bad parents,” and hoped the authorities would “take your children,” the newspaper said.
“I am very surprised by the way Westerners have behaved,” Sukhoreba told the British newspaper in her Ukrainian home.
“How can I write such a horror about my family?” she asked.
The interview made no mention of her address to Everard, the 33-year-old marketing director, who was found dead after disappearing on March 3 while walking home from a night in London.
Her daughter was also arrested last week on suspicion of assisting a criminal. She was rescued until next month and was not charged.
“Elena is really scared,” a friend of her mother told a British newspaper. “He can’t believe what’s going on.”
Couzens was arrested last Tuesday and charged with kidnapping and murder. At a court hearing on Tuesday, he was remanded in custody until a court hearing on July 9, with a provisional trial date of October 25.
Everard, 33, disappeared on March 3 on his way to Brixton, south London, after visiting friends near Clapham. Her body was discovered a week later in the woods of Ashford, Kent, about 80 miles away.
Her death sparked mass anger in Britain, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson chaired a special meeting on Monday night to address security concerns for British women.
“Sarah Everard’s horrible case has unleashed a wave of feelings that women don’t feel safe at night.” Johnson said. “We have to do everything we can to make sure our streets are safe.”