Harriet Harman demands Met Chief resign over Sarah Everard murder

Labour MP and former minister Harriet Harman has called for the Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Dame Cressida Dick to resign from her post following the issuing of a life order sentence to police officer Wayne Couzens for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.

In a letter released via Twitter, Mrs Harman lamented the “horrifying” and “heartbreaking” murder of Ms Everard by Couzens, a serving office for the Met Police at the time of the crime.

She said that “women’s confidence in the police will have been shattered” and that “women need to be confident that women are there to make them safe.”

The ex-minister for women and equalities also said she has written to the Home Secretary demanding a number of actions to rebuild confidence in the police service, and that she thought it was “not possible” for the incumbent chief to lead these necessary changes.

Yesterday the Old Bailey heard how Couzens pretended to arrest Sarah prior to raping and strangling her when she vanished in March this year.

Dick was widely criticised in March for Metropolitan Police’s approach to a vigil for Sarah Everard, where officers arrested four people, alleging violations of Coronavirus restrictions.