I’m London’s victims’ tsar – here’s what we must do to stop another Wayne Couzens

This will be an extraordinarily difficult day for the family and loved ones of Sarah Everard. I know from my work with bereaved families that such reports and anniversaries are unspeakably painful, and their loss and suffering are at the forefront of my mind. It is also important to remember the victims of police misconduct, especially those women who came forward and bravely shared their experiences for this inquiry; they too will be suffering greatly today. I thank them for their courage in bringing the full history of Wayne Couzens’ abhorrent crimes to light.

Elish Angiolini’s findings are sobering. It is almost unthinkable that a dangerous predator like Couzens was able to hold a position of authority. Today’s report is a defining moment, where all involved in policing and the wider criminal justice system must renew their resolve to tackle violence against women and girls in all its forms, and root out cultures that allow abuse and violence to escalate and thrive.

While it should never have come to this, we know that the murder of Sarah Everard has been a wake-up call for all in policing, and certainly the Met, highlighting the need to urgently raise vetting standards, strengthen anti-corruption teams, and double-down on tackling violence against women and girls.

However, we must go further. As recommended by the mayor for the Criminal Justice Bill, automatic suspension of officers charged with domestic abuse and sexual offences is needed, and I’m pleased to see the government finally announce this change today. They must also take forward other crucial recommendations to ensure that those who fail vetting are automatically suspended.

In addition, we need a join-up between family and criminal justice procedures so that if a police officer is made subject to a protective order due to their abusive behaviour, police systems are updated, and the risk they pose can be identified and managed. The urgency of this reform was highlighted last week by the conviction of former police officer Cliff Mitchell. In light of today’s report, I urge the government to expedite and prioritise these changes so that police forces have the tools they need to quickly root out corrupt officers and protect the public.

Policing must look again at vetting practices when officers move areas and ensure consistency between forces so that those who wish to use their authority to abuse others cannot evade detection. It is also clear that more must be done to prioritise pursuing “lower-level” offences. Had indecent exposure allegations been properly pursued, Couzens’ offending could have been disrupted.

There has been promising work done via Operation Soteria to improve the investigation and prosecution of rape, but we must now see the same attention being paid to all offences against women and girls, including child sexual abuse and indecent exposure. It is only if women and girls see these crimes being robustly pursued by the police and the wider criminal justice system, that they will have the confidence to come forward.

The cultural reform of policing must be at the heart of the response to this report. Officers and staff must be clear of the standards expected and be confident that it is their duty to report red flags – such as the sharing of pornography at work, as Couzens did. Police systems, staff, and officers must be alert to the truth that we all know: some people are attracted to the police because of the power, knowledge, and status it gives them to abuse, exploit, and harm others.

This must be a watershed moment for the government, policing, and all of us working in the criminal justice system. It must initiate profound change to reverse the damage done to the trust and confidence of women and girls and the public at large.

The tolerance of misogyny, particularly by those who are in authority, must end – if left unchallenged it can lead to assault, violence and tragedy. Changes must be made so that deviant and determined sexual predators know they will never be welcome or tolerated in policing.

Claire Waxman is London’s independent victims’ commissioner