PA MediaA Metropolitan Police detective who led the investigation into the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer has described the case as a “monumental moment” for the force.
Ms Everard, 33, was abducted, raped and murdered by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens as she walked home in London in 2021 – he was later sentenced to a whole life order.
Det Supt Katherine Goodwin was decorated with the King’s Police Medal by King Charles III during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Asked about her work on the Everard case, she said: “To a certain extent, it feels like it was a while ago, but of course it wasn’t.”
“It was a monumental moment for so many officers and staff in the Met who just felt absolutely let down by the behaviour of [Wayne Couzens],” Det Supt Goodwin said.
“It really felt like a big driver for change.
“Of course, as we all know, there’s still more to do. We’ve just got to do what we can do to honour Sarah’s memory.”
She described receiving the King’s Police Medal as a “humbling” experience, adding: “It’s really tricky because it’s a job that I love, and I’ve always tried to do my best for the public in, so it’s really nice to be recognised for that.”
PA MediaCouzens was sentenced to a whole-life order for the murder of Ms Everard in September 2021.
The case raised concerns over the vetting of Met Police officers and a culture of misogyny within the force, with Louise Casey’s 2023 review finding it “institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic”.
Earlier this year, the Angiolini Inquiry launched a workforce survey for those serving across police forces in England and Wales a year after its first report revealed Couzens should never have been given a job as a police officer.
It found chances to stop the sexual predator were repeatedly ignored and missed, and inquiry chairwoman Lady Elish Angiolini warned without a radical overhaul of policing practices and culture, there is “nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight”.
In March this year, Ms Everard’s parents, Jeremy and Susan Everard, also began campaigning for tougher sentencing for serious violent and sexual criminals as part of a new group called Justice for Victims.
