LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s highest-ranking police officer has tried to reassure women that it is safe to walk the streets of London at night after one of her officers was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and killing a 33-year-old woman. for years.
The disappearance of Sarah Everard and the announcement that human remains were found led the woman to flood social media with posts about the steps she takes when they are alone at night to keep themselves safe, including collecting keys to use as weapon and wearing coaches to help them escape.
Others have detailed a catalog of incidents of harassment of men in public in the decades since they were in school.
“They are so strong, because every woman can relate,” said Interior Secretary Priti Patel. “Every woman should feel safe walking our streets without fear of harassment or violence.”
Everard was last seen at 9.30pm on March 3 on her way to a friend’s house in south London. Her image, smiling in the camera or caught on CCTV that evening, was spread in British newspapers all week.
A 40-year-old officer whose mission was to guard diplomatic buildings was arrested on suspicion of murder, kidnapping and indecent exposure, while a 30-year-old woman was detained on suspicion that would have assisted a criminal.
Cressida Dick, chief of police in London, said she and her colleagues were “completely horrified” by the news that an officer on duty had been arrested, saying he had sent waves of “shock and anger” through the public and police. .
“I know Londoners will want to know that fortunately it is extremely rare for a woman to be abducted from our streets,” she said.
“But I fully understand that, despite this, women in London and the general public, especially those in the area where Sarah disappeared, will be worried and may be scared.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that he was shocked and deeply saddened by developments, while the disappearance caused #saraheverard to go online, while the women shared their experiences.
“The message that needs to be conveyed is that male violence is something that needs to be addressed and challenged, and the justice system and society need to wake up to that,” said Jess Phillips, a spokeswoman for the opposition Labor Party for Domestic Violence.
“At the moment, we just don’t take it seriously, because we take other crimes.”
A vigil for Everard is set to take place on Saturday night, called Reclaim The Streets.
Edited by Guy Faulconbridge and Alison Williams