Women do not feel safe. That is the resounding message that rings across social media in the wake of the conviction of Wayne Couzens. After police officer Wayne Couzens falsely used his warrant card to arrest Sarah Everard for an alleged breach of coronavirus guidelines, women have come forward to share stories of when they have felt unsafe, or when men in power have abused their position for ulterior motives.
Since the trial concluded, a Home Office survey on the handling of violence against women was reopened, receiving in excess of a staggering 160,000 responses. This year, men have killed 109 women. On social media, the amount of small businesses making ‘women’s safety keychains’ has skyrocketed, as women look for discreet ways to protect themselves.
Yesterday Phillip Allott, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, resigned after sustained criticism following his comments urging women to be streetwise and that they should know “when they can be arrested and when they can’t be arrested”. After two weeks of trying to rebuild public confidence in his position as commissioner, he has admitted defeat: What he said will never be ok, on any level, in any world, present or future. His comments are among many who have blamed Sarah for her own murder. Advice has been issued that women should flag down a bus if they feel an officer is suspicious. Women are being encouraged to challenge the legitimacy of officers. But if an officer pulls his warrant card, are you really going to push the matter? Why should the onus lie with women to protect themselves from predators.
Unfortunately, getting to the root of why men commit violence against women involves dismantling the entire system at its core, not just the criminal justice system but education, parenting, and so much more. There is also a profoundly worse problem at play – that victims are blamed for what has happened to them. Is this why men think it is ‘OK’ to commit acts of violence?
Sarah stood no chance from the moment Wayne Couzens decided he wanted to hurt her. If she had resisted a legitimate arrest she would have faced harsher charges. But by the time she knew what was happening to her, it would have been far too late for any action whatsoever. She is not responsible for what happened.
Couzens has received a whole-life tariff. He will die behind bars, deservedly so. Sadly it is not enough to restore a sense of safety in the UK women who have been rocked by this heinous crime. For now, the onus to protect ourselves has been unjustly shifted back to women, and no amount of ‘sorrow’ from Priti Patel or Cressida Dick is going to help here.
