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SafeLives responds to the Home Office’s inquiry into issues raised by Wayne Couzens conviction

5th October 2021

The conviction of a serving police officer for the murder of Sarah Everard has shaken the country to the core. This isn’t just about one bad apple; this is about the need for a wholesale societal shift in addressing male violence against women and girls.

We welcome the announcement by the Home Secretary of an inquiry and the cross-Government task force and want to see swift action from both to reassure the public, particularly victims and survivors who have felt let down by the whole system. The terms of the inquiry must go deep to explore what’s really happening within workplace culture in forces to ensure misogyny - and indeed racism and homophobia - have no place in policing. And every Government Department must play an active role in the task force. This needs to be the beginning of a huge conversation and we welcome the comments of Dave Thompson, West Midlands Chief Constable, that ‘this is the end of a continuance of a curve of misogynistic behaviour that women experience’ and ‘men have to create these changes as this is about us’ in society as well as policing. Men and boys need to be front and centre in this conversation and we want to hear their voices now.