Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick is facing increasing pressure to resign, after it was revealed the force was aware that murderer Wayne Couzens was nicknamed 'The Rapist' by colleagues.
Couzens was sentenced to a whole life term behind bars after being convicted of the murder of Sarah Everard, as the former Met Police officer appeared in court to receive his sentence yesterday.
The Old Bailey in London heard how 48-year-old Couzens used his police warrant card and handcuffs to abduct Miss Everard, 33, as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham, South London, on March 3 this year.
Couzens is the first police officer in the UK to ever be sentenced to a full life tariff, following the judge detailing how he used his authority as a police officer to trick Sarah into getting in his car, reports The Express.
The calls for Dame Cressida to step down are being led by the Mother of the House of Commons, Labour MP Harriet Harman.
Ms Harman told LBC's Shelagh Fogarty, she should "recognise it's best for her to go”.
She added: "It was on her watch that the warning signs on Sarah Everard's killer were missed."
"As soon as an allegation is made we need an immediate investigation and a prompt suspension.
"I didn't want to see Cressida Dick fail but it's because I want to see the changes, I want to see them taken through with energy and determination. I know she cannot do that."
In a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel, Ms Harman has written that the "confidence of women in the police will have been shattered" by Couzens' actions.
Within the piece she makes reference to previous allegations about sexual offences committed by Couzens and that Met Police colleagues had nicknamed him 'The Rapist' as he made women feel uncomfortable.
She wrote: "It is clear that there had been all too many warning signs about him which had been swept under the carpet.”
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IOPC) is currently investigating The Met for its alleged failure to investigate two flashing incidents attributed to Couzens, which reportedly occurred at a McDonald's in south London, just three days before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Miss Everard.
The police watchdog is investigating why the Met allegedly failed to probe the two incidents, despite apparently being provided with CCTV.
They are also carrying out multiple investigations into how the police handled previous allegations including reports of indecent exposure by the former officer in 2015.
A male motorist said he saw a man who was identified as Couzens driving naked from the waist down.
In Ms Harmen's letter she outlines seven proposals on ways that the police can build confidence following Ms Everard’s murder, but deemed it "impossible" for Dame Cressida to oversee the scheme.
She concluded her letter with the phrase "I have therefore called for her to resign”.
Ms Harmen isn’t the only public figure calling for the current Met Commissioner to step down, as former Shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott added her support to the call.
She tweeted: “Harriet Harman is right. Women should be able to trust the police. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick must resign.”
Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton, also added their voice to the calls.
Further pressure mounted as current Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer voiced his concerns on how Couzens “got through the net”, and questioned why “obvious warning signs” were overlooked.
He told LBC: “There were obviously warning signs, so how did he get through the net? That is the crucial question that the Met must now answer.”
Despite the fresh pressure on Dame Cressida after a string of scandals, Home Secretary Priti Patel has said she will “continue to work with” the commissioner in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder.
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