Patriarchal Policing: A Reflection on Abuse of Women by Serving Police Officers

In 2021, there was a nationwide public outcry following the brutal murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan police officer. This vicious crime left many people, particularly women, with feelings of distrust towards the police and increased fear for women’s safety, resulting in vigils and campaigns to raise awareness of male violence against women. Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by Metropolitan police officer Wayne Couzens in the evening of the 3rd March 2021 when she was walking home from a friend’s house (Morton, 2021).