Sarah Everard murder: Five police officers face disciplinary action over messages
Five police officers from four forces are facing disciplinary action over social media messages about Sarah Everard’s killer Wayne Couzens.
Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said two Metropolitan Police officers and one from each of the forces in Sussex, Dorset and Avon and Somerset will be subject to misconduct proceedings.
Couzens abused his powers as a serving Met officer to kidnap, rape and murder Sarah Everard in March during the lockdown. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Sal Naseem, IOPC’s regional director, said: “In April this year we warned about the unacceptable use of social media by officers based on a number of cases involving the posting of offensive and inappropriate material.
“We wrote to the National Police Chiefs Council, asking them to remind forces and officers of their obligations under the police Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Behaviour.
“The allegations involved in these two investigations, if proven, have the capacity to further undermine public confidence in policing. They also once more illustrate the potential consequences for officers and come at a time when policing standards and culture have never been more firmly in the spotlight.”