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LONDONA London police officer appeared in court today for the first time after being charged with murder in a case that has caused widespread concern in Britain for the safety of women.
Wayne Couzens, 48, is charged with the kidnapping and murder of Sarah Everard, 33, who disappeared on the night of March 3 while walking home in South London after visiting a friend.
Everard’s remains were found Wednesday in a forest about 50 miles away in southeastern England.
His murder has sparked a flood of personal accounts from women about their own experiences and fears of walking the streets alone at night, and he calls for action to address this.
Couzens, dressed in a gray tracksuit, spoke only to confirm his identity at Westminster Magistrates Court in London and remains in detention.
His attorney did not plead guilty to the charges before a more comprehensive court hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Couzens joined the London Metropolitan Police in 2018 and protected foreign embassies before his arrest.
The activists had planned a vigil to commemorate Everard to be held Saturday night near where he disappeared.
However, organizers canceled the vigil this morning after police warned them that they could risk arrest for violating Covid’s restrictions on outdoor social gatherings.
“In light of the lack of constructive participation by the Metropolitan Police, we do not believe that we can in good faith allow tonight’s event to go ahead,” organizers of the Reclaim These Streets group said in a statement.
Members of the public laid out flowers this morning at the bandstand on Clapham Common in southwest London, close to where the vigil had been planned.
“We are not happy that this event is being canceled, but it is the right thing to do given the real and present threat of Covid-19,” said Metropolitan Police Commander Catherine Roper.
Under current Covid rules, people in England can generally only meet in the open with one person outside their home. – Reuters
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