(dramatic music)
- [Narrator] In recent days,
you may have seen a text screenshot
from WhatsApp circulating around that reads,
"Text me when you get home xx."
Over the first and second week of March, 2021,
the screenshot of this text
became a widely shared trend on social media.
Though, most trends on social media
are lighthearted and fleeting,
some like this trend are tragic
and will likely have lasting repercussions.
What is up, EWU Crew?
Today, we are taking a look at a case
that has only just made headlines
in the past few weeks.
One that is heart-wrenching
and has already touched people across the world.
On March 3rd, 2021, 33 year old
Sarah Everard was last seen walking
through Clapham in South of London, England.
She was heading home to Brixton Hill
after she had spent the evening
visiting one of her friends in Clapham,
which was only a 50 minute walk away from where she lived.
She had left her friends around 9:00 PM
and spoke to her boyfriend on the phone
during her walk for about 14 minutes.
Sarah chose to walk on brightly lit streets
and stayed to well-traveled main roads.
She went missing soon after.
Originally from New York,
Sarah worked as a marketing executive in London.
Her family described her as kind and thoughtful,
caring and dependable.
Those close to Sarah said
that she has always been an exceptional friend,
dropping everything to be there
to support her friends, wherever they need her.
She was reportedly said to start a new role at work
as a senior marketing account manager,
something she was greatly excited about.
Her boyfriend called the police on March 4th
to report that she was missing
after she didn't make it home the night before.
She was last seen wearing a green rain jacket,
navy blue pants with a white diamond pattern
and orange and turquoise shoes.
She had on a white beanie and possibly green earphones.
In response to her disappearance,
the London police began an extensive search to find Sarah.
The searches concentrated around the area
where she was last seen, but there was no trace of her.
Part of trying to find out what happened to Sarah
involved gaining the public's help
and locating her.
One tweet from police to Londoners read,
"Have you seen Sarah Everard?"
While another admitted that law enforcement
was getting increasingly concerned,
this CCTV picture of her also began to circulate.
It was this online exposure
that first brought the public's attention
to what would be a shocking and disturbing case.
During the investigation,
Sarah was spotted on the footage
of a doorbell camera passing by around 9:28.
Police realized that she went missing
soon after this footage.
Her family, including her father, Jeremy,
who is a professor at the University of York,
and her mother, Sue, are believed to have traveled
from York to London to join Sarah's siblings,
James and Katie, as they aided in search efforts.
On March 7th, Scotland Yard specialist's crime command
began leading the investigation
because of the complex nature
of the probe into Sarah's disappearance.
Around 750 houses in South of London
were searched in hopes of finding Sarah alive.
The ponds in the area were also searched,
as well as local drains
in case her body would be discovered there.
The police received more than 120 calls
from the public with tips about the case.
Sniffer dogs were even brought in to search gardens
along the streets where the police believed
Sarah had passed.
All of these leads led nowhere.
There was no sign of Sarah.
At midnight on March 9th,
almost six days after Sarah vanished,
the police made two arrests.
The first arrest was of a 48 year old
police constable named Wayne Couzens
who were suspected of kidnapping,
though no further details were released at the time.
And the second arrest was an unnamed woman
in her 30s who was suspected of assisting an offender.
The woman was later allegedly released on bail.
It is suspected by various news outlets
that the woman in question is Couzens' own wife,
Elena Couzens, who is a 38 year old Ukrainian
and British scientist.
But it is not clear what role, if any,
that Elena may have played in Sarah's disappearance.
It wasn't until March 10th
that a body was eventually discovered
in a wooded area in Ashford town in Kent,
more than 50 miles from where Sarah
was last seen walking.
Using dental records to establish an identity,
it was confirmed on Friday, March 12th
that the remains belonged to Sarah.
This was a devastating blow to her family,
but also the public who been holding out hope
she would be recovered alive.
Also on Friday, March 12th,
Couzens was officially charged
with Sarah's kidnapping and murder.
The fact that Couzens is a police officer
was called both shocking and deeply disturbing.
A police statement which was released
clarified that Couzens was not on duty
at the time that Sarah went missing.
The current working theory alleges
that Couzens used his police ID to lure Sarah
before he kidnapped her.
It was also reported by the Metropolitan Police
that on Thursday, March 11th,
Couzens was taken to the hospital for a head wound,
which was sustained while he was in custody.
He was treated and then discharged.
Again on March 12th,
Couzens was brought to the hospital
for the second time in 48 hours
for a new injury to his head,
which was also sustained while in custody.
Again, he was treated and released
with seemingly no further comment
from authorities about the nature of the incidents.
Couzens who had been a part
of the Metropolitan Police starting in 2018
and worked there for two years,
was currently working in the Parliamentary
and Diplomatic Protection Command,
which is a unit that protects the UK's parliamentary estate
as well as the embassies based in London.
Couzens' job specifically was as a uniformed patrol
of the diplomatic premises.
More about Couzens has since been released
as the Metropolitan Police have stated
that it is in the interests of clarity,
including a report from the Guardian,
which detailed that Couzens has also been suspected
of two separate incidents involving
alleged and decent exposure.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed
that the alleged incidents took place
at a London fast food restaurant
three days before Sarah went missing.
The allegations are currently being investigated
by an independent office for police conduct.
The post-mortem on Sarah's remains is currently underway,
which will likely reveal her cause of death.
At the news of her passing,
shockwaves of outrage, horror, and frustration
were felt across the UK.
Part of the outrage was directed at the fact
that the suspect worked as a police officer
and was someone tasked with the protection
of the UK citizens.
As Sarah's case became more public,
and more information was released
regarding her kidnapping and death,
women across the UK began sharing to social media
their own experiences of harassment
or more disturbing incidents
while walking on the streets.
Despite COVID restrictions,
a few hundred people gathered
to mourn Sarah at a vigil.
This vigil became an event called Reclaim These Streets
where women who have felt unsafe
in public spaces alone gathered together
in memorial for Sarah.
Many of the women there carried signs,
which read, "She was just walking home."
"Sisters united will never be defeated."
And "We are the 97%,"
a comment referring to a survey
that stated 97% of women in the UK,
between the ages of 18 to 24,
have endured some form of harassment.
The peaceful vigil purportedly turned violent
when police and protestors collided,
resulting in the arrest of four people.
The handling of this incident
has since been widely criticized.
The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
made a statement in response to the public's outcry
to Sarah's kidnapping and murder saying,
"I will do everything I can to make sure
the streets are safe and ensure women and girls
do not face harassment or abuse."
He has apparently since vowed
that the government would more than double funding
for neighborhood safety measures to $62 million.
There are also plans to nurture a program
where plain clothes police officers
will be stationed around bars and nightclubs
to keep an eye on anyone who might need help.
Sarah's story soon became synonymous
with many others highlighting women's fear
about being alone in public spaces.
The social media outpour spread
and soon women across the world
were sharing their own experiences
and offering support to one another.
They even began sharing precautions
that they take when walking home
as well as their frustration at the necessity.
Women walking home late at night
often hold their keys between their fingers
as a makeshift weapon, never wear headphones,
and usually text their friends to check
that they arrived safely.
The screenshot of a text message reading,
"Text me when you get home xx"
became widely shared and went viral
after originating on Lucy Mountain's Instagram.
It has become a symbol for the ways
that many women have unconsciously
come to say goodbye to their friends.
Rather than a simple "bye,"
many people ask for reassurance
that their friends and loved ones arrived safe.
Something that isn't a guarantee.
For Sarah Everard, she never got to texts
that she got home safe.
Due to the outpouring of public frustration and outrage,
a police watchdog agency,
the Independent Office for Police Conduct,
will also be conducting an independent investigation,
specifically looking into police actions
which involve the suspect.
Couzens has been remanded in custody
and was scheduled to be brought before the Old Bailey,
the central criminal court on Tuesday, March 16th
where the world watched intently
to see the progression and outcome of the case.
He reportedly appeared via video link
from Belmarsh Prison wearing
a maroon sweatshirt and gray bottoms.
He spoke only to confirm his name
and date of birth and appear to rock
to and fro while staring at the floor.
His forehead featured a noticeable scab.
The judge scheduled a plea hearing date for July 9th
and a provisional trial for October 25th.
Estimates claim that the provisional trial
could last up to four weeks.
The journey for Sarah's justice continues.