On 18 January 2023, the Secretary of State for the Home Department invited the Chair of the Angiolini Inquiry to carry out a consultation on the draft Terms of Reference for Part 2 of the Inquiry. We asked for people’s views on these draft Terms of Reference by 12pm on Friday 24th February 2023.
This Consultation has now closed. Thank you to all who participated.
You can read the letter sent by the Chair to the Home Secretary on the consultation response here.
The Consultation sought views on the following:
- Do the Part 2 draft Terms of Reference pillars cover all the areas that you think should be addressed by the Inquiry?
- Which pillar do you think the Inquiry should prioritise, if any, in Part 2?
- How do you think those that are, or have been, affected by the issues covered in Part 2 of the Inquiry should be engaged to have their voices heard?
Please note that the Inquiry is not at this stage seeking ‘evidence’. Evidence is gathered as part of the formal Inquiry, later in the process when the Home Secretary has published the Terms of Reference. The Consultation asked respondents for views on what the Inquiry should look into, and how it should act; not about specific experiences on the topic.
What happens next?
Lady Elish has considered people’s views on the draft Terms of Reference for Part 2 and has written to the Home Secretary to present the consultation findings as well as recommendations to update the Terms of Reference in line with the consultation feedback. The letter can be found here.
When the final Terms of Reference have been finalised, they will be published on this website.
Background
The abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard was a grotesque crime and has had a devastating impact on her family and loved ones. That it was committed by an off-duty Metropolitan Police officer abusing his position to do so, is abhorrent and has undermined the public’s confidence in policing.
It is of vital importance that there is a clear understanding of how and why this happened, and the lessons identified so that policing and partners can do everything possible to ensure it cannot happen again. This is to ensure the victim’s family and the public get a full explanation of the causes of, and factors contributing to, this tragic and harrowing murder. A two part non-statutory Inquiry has been established to achieve this.
Part 1 of the Inquiry started on 31 January 2022 and is focussed on the life and career of Wayne Couzens, establishing a definitive account of his conduct, behaviour and performance leading up to his conviction, as well as any opportunities missed, such as decision making relating to vetting. The Chair is prevented from finalising and submitting her Part 1 report until ongoing criminal proceedings against Wayne Couzens, and other relevant criminal and misconduct proceedings, have concluded.
Part 2 of the Inquiry is set to focus on the broader issues raised by this case for policing and the protection of women as set out by the Home Secretary in the draft Terms of Reference subject to this consultation. The Inquiry has also been asked by the Home Secretary to examine the circumstances of ex-PC David Carrick who recently pleaded guilty to 49 charges of sexual offences. The majority of those offences were committed while he was a serving officer of the Metropolitan Police Service. The terms of reference for this work are not subject to this consultation and will be published by the Home Secretary on gov.uk and made available on our website.