By Emily Caulkett-
The family of Sarah Everard have paid tribute to her on the first anniversary of her murder by a police officer, saying describing was “wonderful and we miss her all the time” and that they “live with the sadness of our loss”.
Everard, 33 was abducted, raped and killed by disgraced serving Met officer Wayne Couzens as she walked home in South London on 3 March last year.
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In a statement released through the Metropolitan police, they said they had been “overwhelmed” by the public’s support. “It is a year since Sarah died and we remember her today, as every day, with all our love,” they said.
“Our lives have changed for ever and we live with the sadness of our loss. Sarah was wonderful and we miss her all the time. Over the past year we have been overwhelmed with the kindness shown to us, not just by family and friends, but by the wider public.
“We are immensely grateful to everyone for their support, it has meant such a lot to us and has comforted us through this terrible time,” they added.
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“Sadly, Sarah is not the only woman to have lost her life recently in violent circumstances and we would like to extend our deepest sympathy to other families who are also grieving.”
Couzens was jailed for life in September for Ecerard’s murder. His crime also triggered a non-statutory inquiry – led by Dame Elish Angiolini – into how he was able to work as a police officer for three different forces despite concerns about his behaviour.
Following this, there are plans for a second part that would look at wider issues in policing.
The Met has also commissioned its own review of the culture and standards at the force, including Couzens’ former unit – the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command.
There have been a number of high-profile alleged stranger murders of women over the past year, including the deaths of police community support officer Julia James and teachers Sabina Nessa and, in Ireland, Ashling Murphy.
In another case Valentin Lazar, 21, was jailed for life for beating 45-year-old Maria Rawlings to death after a chance meeting on a bus.
On Thursday evening, a walk will take place in south-west London, which organisers the Urban Angels said was in memory of “victims of gendered violence”.
The event will begin at Clapham North underground station at 7pm and will finish at the Clapham Common bandstand, near where Everard went missing and the location of a socially distanced vigil held in her memory last year.
Marking the anniversary of Everard’s murder, Boris Johnson has said it was “unacceptable” that so many women and girls still faced violence and perpetrators must be held to account. He said in a statement: “Like everyone else, my heart goes out to the family and friends of Sarah Everard today.
“The circumstances of her death were truly horrifying and I cannot imagine the pain they have suffered over this past year.
“It is unacceptable that so many women and girls still fear and face violence and abuse, and perpetrators must be held to account for their actions. Everyone deserves to feel safe on our streets.”
In a statement, the Met said: “Our thoughts are with Sarah Everard’s family and loved ones. One year on we remain deeply disgusted and shamed that a Met police officer was responsible for Sarah’s appalling murder.”
The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am clear: we cannot simply respond to male violence against women and girls – we must prevent it.” He pledged to “continue to do everything within my power to ensure that ending violence against women and girls is treated with the utmost urgency, both by our police and society as a whole.”
Firearms officer Couzens abducted Ms Everard in Clapham, under the guise of a fake arrest for breaching coronavirus guidelines and drove her away in a car he had hired.
Her body was found in woodland near Ashford, Kent, metres from land owned by Couzens. She had been raped and strangled.
The case sparked national outrage and calls for more action to tackle violence against women.
‘Overwhelmed’
In a statement, her family said: “Our lives have changed forever and we live with the sadness of our loss.
“Sarah was wonderful and we miss her all the time.
“Over the past year we have been overwhelmed with the kindness shown to us, not just by family and friends, but by the wider public.
“We are immensely grateful to everyone for their support; it has meant such a lot to us and has comforted us through this terrible time.
“Sadly, Sarah is not the only woman to have lost her life recently in violent circumstances and we would like to extend our deepest sympathy to other families who are also grieving.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also paid tribute to Ms Everard and said that his thoughts were with her family, friends and all those who knew her.
“Today we remember the young woman that Sarah was, and the life that she lived,” he said.
“She was a vibrant, talented, intelligent young woman, who was loved deeply by her family and friends.”
He added that her murder had “left the nation in shock, and sparked a national outcry about the way our society treats women and girls”.
“I am clear, we cannot simply respond to male violence against women and girls – we must prevent it,” he said.
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