UK: Police officer removed from Sarah Everard case over 'inappropriate' WhatsApp image

In the latest development in the shocking Sarah Everard murder investigation that sent shock waves across the nation, a Metropolitan police officer guarding search cordons has been removed from operations after allegedly sending an offensive graphic to colleagues on a WhatsApp group. The Met in a statement on March 15 said that considering the officer’s duties at the time, a referral had been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as well as Everard’s family. 

According to the official statement, on March 12, the Met was made aware of an “inappropriate graphic” and reported by colleagues of the officer. However, the force has declined to give further details about the ‘graphic’ that one Guardian source described it as “unpalatable”. But the Met did mention that the image did not depict Everard or had any relation with the investigation into her alleged kidnap and murder. 

The force also clarified that the officer is a probationer implying that he had started his service recently with Britain’s biggest force and had gone through screening and was supposed to ensure candidates are fitting to carry out a range of sensitive duties that officers are expected of. The officer that Met said it removed on Monday, had been a part of a phalanx of officers guarding search scenes across Kent that began last Wednesday as police searched for the 33-year-old. 

In a statement, the Met said, “On Friday, 12 March, the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards was made of aware of an inappropriate graphic that was allegedly shared via social media by a probationary MPS police constable with some colleagues. The sharing of the graphic was reported by a number of these officers who were concerned by its content.”

“Given the context of the officer’s duties at the time, a voluntary referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in relation to this matter. The PC had been deployed as a cordon officer supporting the search operation in Kent in relation to the murder of Sarah Everard. The officer has been removed from these duties and placed in a non-public facing role while enquiries continue,” it added. 

UK woman who vanished on way home

The case of the alleged kidnap and murder of a UK woman, Sarah Everard who vanished on her way home is all the more shocking for the entire nation because the suspect charged on Friday with the abduction and murder of the 33-year-old marketing executive is a UK police officer whose job was protecting the civilians and diplomats. 

As per reports, Everard set out on a 50-minute walk home from a friend’s house in south London around 9 PM on March 3 but she did not arrive ever. On March 12, police confirmed that a body found hidden in woodland at least 80 kilometres southeast of the city. Eventually, London police arrested a member of the force’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command on Tuesday as a suspect in the case. Late Friday, police charged officer Constable Wayne Couzens, with the kidnapping and murder of Everard. He is due to appear in front of the court on Saturday.