Beijing News (reporter Xie Lian) no one expected that the death of a British woman would cause such an uproar in Britain.
Initially, Sarah Everard, 33, went missing while walking home at night, and police searched everywhere, only to find her body a few days later in the woods near the place of disappearance. Even more shocking is that the suspect is a serving officer of the London Police Service, who has now been arrested.
Subsequently, a group of people held a vigil for Evrad in a park in London, but a number of women were taken away by the police in handcuffs, which once again caused an uproar. Some have called for the resignation of the London sheriff, demanding an investigation into police conduct. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also spoke out, saying that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and more measures would be introduced to protect women's safety.
Walking on the street at 9 p.m. and eventually dying for no reason has once again sparked widespread concern and discussion about women's safety in the UK.
Johnson is "deeply concerned" about the Everard affair. /Screenshot of Sky News coverage
London police are suspected of killing a 33-year-old woman
According to the BBC, on March 13, local time, London Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Cousins made his first appearance in court, and he was accused of kidnapping and killing a 33-year-old British woman, Sarah Everard.
At around 9 p.m. on March 3, Evrad walked home alone after leaving a friend's apartment, talking to her boyfriend on the phone, but has since been missing. Surveillance shows that Everard last appeared at around 9:28 p.m. on the 3rd, when she was walking alone in Clapham, south London.
On March 10, Evrad's body was found in the woods near where she last appeared. Prosecutors said the body was packed in a bag and was later identified through a comparison of dental records. The autopsy has been completed, but the police have not yet released the exact cause of death.
In fact, on March 9, the London police arrested officer Cadence. On the 12th, he was formally indicted on charges of kidnapping and murder. Cousins, 48, joined the London Police in September 2018 and is currently responsible for patrolling missions for diplomatic agencies. Police said Kazens was not on duty when Evrad disappeared.
In the days after his arrest, Kazens was admitted to the hospital twice with head injuries, according to the Guardian. In the courtroom on the 13th, the red wound on Kazens' forehead was still very obvious.
At the hearing that day, Kazens was very silent, answering only his name, age, occupation and other questions. He will appear again on 16 March.
Police handcuffed women away praying for vigil
It doesn't stop there.
On March 13, hundreds of people came to Clapham Park near Evrad's disappearance site to pray for Evelad's vigil. However, police forcibly dispersed the rally crowd and took away multiple women in handcuffs, and photographs showed women being crushed to the ground by multiple police officers. After the live video was exposed, the London police came under fire again.
At the vigil, a woman was crushed to the ground by multiple police officers. /BBC screenshot
According to the BBC, British Home Secretary Priti Patel said on the 14th that she has requested an independent investigation into the London police's dispersal of the assembly crowd.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also called for an investigation into the matter, calling the police action "unacceptable". He wanted the HMIC (the Queen's Inspector General of Police) to launch a "full, independent investigation" into the matter.
Sadiq Khan said he had previously asked police and memorial service organizers to work together to ensure that the vigil could be held under conditions consistent with outbreak control. "Last week, the Metropolitan Police assured me that the vigil would be handled with caution. But that's not what I see."
In fact, an organizer called Reclaim These Streets had planned to hold a formal memorial service at Clapham Park at 9:30 p.m. on the 13th, but was not allowed because of the epidemic prevention and control requirements. However, there are still many people who spontaneously travel to Clapham Park. As late as March 14, many people still came to Clapham Park to mourn Evrad, many of whom sent flowers, lit candles, and stayed for a while to show their remembrance.
"Retake these streets" issued a statement on Twitter on the 14th, condemning the London police for fining people who went to Clapham Park and even arresting them.
After clashes between those attending the rally and the police, multiple parties called for the resignation of London Sheriff Christie Dijk, but she refused to resign. Dick said on March 14 that police conduct did need to be reviewed, but she also said that under the current circumstances, the rally on the evening of the 13th was illegal. She also stressed that these events would only make her more determined to lead the London police.
Patel said she had received a report of the incident from Sheriff Dick, but "there are still many questions to answer." Sources say both Patel and Johnson have faith in Dick and have no intention of removing her position.
How to ensure women's safety is in the spotlight
On March 14, a large number of people demonstrated in London against the police's actions in Evrad, stressing women's right to a sense of security on the road. They marched from the Headquarters of the London Police to Parliament Square, and this time the police did not obstruct them.
People gathered in Parliament Square to protest the police's handling of Evrad's vigil. /Sky News video screenshot
In the wake of the Everard case, the topic of ensuring women's safety in the UK came into focus.
According to the BBC, in the last 10 years of murders in England and Wales, 4493 victims have been men, and in 2075 women, the proportion of women is about 31%. More than 90 per cent of the perpetrators were male. In cases of female victimization, 57 per cent of victims were killed by people they knew.
Sexual harassment of women is also a serious problem. According to CNN on March 14, the latest survey by UN Women's UK office showed that more than 70% of women surveyed said they had been sexually harassed in public places. Among women aged 18 to 24, this rises to 97 per cent. The majority of respondents believe that the government is powerless to solve this problem.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement on the evening of the 14th that he was "deeply concerned" about the incident in Clapham Park.
Johnson will chair a special task force on Crime and Justice on March 15 local time to discuss what actions should be taken to "protect women and keep streets safe." "The death of Sarah Evrad must unite us and resolve to eliminate violence against women and make every step of the justice system work and protect them," he said.
According to the Guardian reported on the 15th, the British government said that since it began to collect strategies and opinions on anti-violence against women last Friday, it has received 53,000 opinions.
Martin Hewitt, chairman of the Uk National Police Chiefs' Commission, also tweeted that on March 15, he would bring together all police chiefs to discuss how to better protect women.
Beijing News reporter Xie Lian
Edited by Zhang Lei, Proofreader Li Lijun