Sarah Everard

[Rosa]

I can't bear to think about it, and yet feel I should. Sarah's mother's victim statement was so powerful, and so very upsetting.

[ParisGal]

Over here a former policeman has just committed suicide, leaving a confession to being a serial rapist and killer (in the 80s and 90s, at least the currently known cases). He had been called to be interviewed following familial DNA evidence from some of the crimes.

[Marth]

I can't bear to think about it, and yet feel I should. Sarah's mother's victim statement was so powerful, and so very upsetting.

It really cried listening to it. I think of something like that happening to my children and I would just want to die too. I think that my body would just make me dead, but I know it wouldn't, and I would be living, dealing with it.

[Kleio]

I'd have got in too.

Years ago a taxi driver took me on a long winded journey home and for about 15 minutes I was fucking terrified as we took a detour through the docks. He said he was just sick of the main road and fancied a change and genuinely didn't think how scary it would be for me. She endured an hours journey - handcuffed - I can't imagine how that must've been.

Lucy mentioned on fb she wasn't aware you didn't have to immediately pull over for the police. I want to reiterate here that if you're alone and a police officer tries to pull you over you absolutely can slow down, give them the thumbs up through the window and drive to a police station.

You are allowed to peacefully refuse arrest by a lone police officer and request that you walk to a police station or that they get a second officer.

We shouldn't have to protect ourselves from the police force.

[Kenickie]

The whole thing is totally horrific.

[Ella77]

I hope he suffers a lot in prison. A lot.

Cressida Dick should have resigned years ago. Absolute disgrace, that woman.

[Marth]

Deleted because I am just repeating myself like a senile old duffer

[Disco]

It's just so awful. That poor woman. Her poor family. Surely this can't have been his first attempt at rape and murder.

[Rebel Pebble]

Absofuckinglutely Marth.

There's nothing to say she's been taken by someone who opportunistically in a quiet street though, maybe she knew him/them?

Or they were a figure of trust, ie a police officer.

Eugh, yeah.

When I wrote this I never imagined the extent to which he exploited both his position of trust and authority and the fucking shittily written covid rules.

And what really adds to my rage is that, at the vigil, the Met used those same rules as an excuse to restrain women, acting peacefully, on their fronts holding their hands behind their backs. FUCK YOU, TOSSERS.

[rosy]

Over here a former policeman has just committed suicide, leaving a confession to being a serial rapist and killer (in the 80s and 90s, at least the currently known cases). He had been called to be interviewed following familial DNA evidence from some of the crimes.

I was just reading about that. Sickening.

The impact statements from Sarah's family were so moving; I had to pull the car over on my way home this lunchtime because I was in tears, listening to the reporting.

I don't know what the way forward is. I read today that there is a proposal that lone police officers should not be able to arrest or detain someone, but unless the government is prepared to pretty much double the police budget, I don't see how that could ever work.

[Marth]

Absofuckinglutely Marth.

There's nothing to say she's been taken by someone who opportunistically in a quiet street though, maybe she knew him/them?

Or they were a figure of trust, ie a police officer.

Eugh, yeah.

When I wrote this I never imagined the extent to which he exploited both his position of trust and authority and the fucking shittily written covid rules.

And what really adds to my rage is that, at the vigil, the Met used those same rules as an excuse to restrain women, acting peacefully, on their fronts holding their hands behind their backs. FUCK YOU, TOSSERS.

Oh God. And to think there was wankers saying she shouldn't have been out because of lockdown.

I have formally asked my union to approach my workplace (a local authority) and request they ussue a statement of sympathy for Sabina Nessa, Bibaa Henry, Nicola Smallman and Sarah Everard, and others, and to publicly commit to ensuring that the women and girls in their borough will be safe and protected, esp from those men in positions of power. Also to seek assurances from the police in the borough how they will protect women and girls. We will be formally approaching them next week.

I have also requested the union do the same. That neither had done so already just didn't surprise me.

[Rebel Pebble]

Good stuff, Marth. I mean, that it's necessary is appalling but, yeah.

[Kleio]

It's just so awful. That poor woman. Her poor family. Surely this can't have been his first attempt at rape and murder.

Given his nickname was 'rapist' I agree too. You don't jump straight to rape and murder, there is a levelling up so to speak.

I hope it's being looked into and that women who have suffered at his hands can get some justice too.

[Livilla]

Christ the “Rapist” nickname - Met, you absofuckinglutely should be collectively cringing now. I was also aghast that a conviction for indecent exposure doesn’t mean you’re banned from the police. You’d be banned from a responsible role in the City for that, and look at the power and influence the police wield. They need to do better.

I saw a tweet from the real Colin Sutton (Martin Clunes in ManHunt) saying that he’d always felt a professional detachment in all his cases, but not in this one, he just felt hatred. I just felt sick for her family.

I was pondering in my mind what I’d do if it was now, and I was in Sarah Everard’s shoes. The best I could think of was to insist on taking a photo of their warrant card and texting it to someone else before accompanying a solo police officer anywhere (I did this once when in a black cab and feeling concerned about the driver), but then there’s no guarantee they won’t consider that being resistant, and…they hold too many cards to not feel insecure.

[Rebel Pebble]

The balance of power is just such a headfuck. All the (shitty) rules we've all grown up with go out the window when you're dealing with someone who has the notional power to order you to comply.

[Ella77]

Or is simply much, much stronger.

[Chicky]

I am utterly sickened by this.

I would have got in the car, I also wouldn’t have done anything if I’d seen a lone woman being handcuffed and put in a car. I’d do something now though.

The Met needs to have a full review and Cressida Dick needs to go.

[Luna]

Woman’s hour had a good if somewhat depressing section on this today. Apparently, crap cops can get a transfer without question. This is what they do when they are close to being found out.

[Mountain Goat]

I am also so fucking sick of the men muscling in on this with all the not all men and men get murdered too bullshit. Sit down, shut up, listen. I am verging on full Falling Down.

[Rebel Pebble]

I am also so fucking sick of the men muscling in on this with all the not all men and men get murdered too bullshit. Sit down, shut up, listen. I am verging on full Falling Down.

That's now been joined with "not all male police officers".