Scotland Yard cleared over handling of Sarah Everard vigil

The Metropolitan Police has been cleared over its controversial handling of the Sarah Everard vigil on Clapham Common.

A report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), concluded that the force had acted appropriately when it broke up the gathering earlier this month.

Scotland Yard came in for intense criticism over its handling of the vigil, with some even calling for Dame Cressida Dick, the Met Commissioner, to resign.

But Matt Parr, the inspector, who carried out the review, at the behest of Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said much of the criticism had been unwarranted and showed a lack of respect to the police.

He said: “After reviewing a huge body of evidence – rather than a snapshot on social media – we found that there are some things the Met could have done better, but we saw nothing to suggest police officers acted in anything but a measured and proportionate way in challenging circumstances.

He added: "Condemnation of the Met’s actions within mere hours of the vigil – including from people in positions of responsibility – was unwarranted, showed a lack of respect for public servants."

The vigil, which was held to remember Miss Everard, the 33-year-old marketing executive who was abducted and killed as she walked home in south London earlier this month, had been ruled illegal by Scotland Yard because of Covid regulations.

But the HMICFRS found that an event on Clapham Common could have taken place because the right to protest remains even during the pandemic.

'Move to enforcement' not heavy-handed

The inspectorate concluded that, in this case, the Met’s decision to prioritise consistency with their approach to policing other mass gatherings during the Covid-19 lockdown was right.

The report stated that while the vast majority of those who attended the vigil behaved in a dignified and respectful way, "peaceful and reasonable intent of the many was overshadowed by the malign actions of a few". 

The report said: "We viewed hours of body-worn video footage and heard officers patiently pleading with people to go home. It was clear that officers were explaining and encouraging people to leave. When the decision to ‘move to enforcement’ was made, our review found nothing to suggest that officers acted inappropriately or in a heavy-handed manner. 

"In fact, we found evidence of patience and professionalism during engagement prior to, during and after arrest." 

The report also revealed that the police have received 463 messages of praise and 181 messages of criticism.

And the report also stated that while the event had been intended as a vigil for Miss Everard "it was clearly attended by those with other causes in mind".

Commenting on the report, Sir Tom Winsor, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary said: “Our civilian police model is precious.  Officers are our fellow citizens, invested by the community to keep the community safe. 

"They rely upon and are entitled to receive public support when they act lawfully, sensitively and proportionately; in this case, in the face of severe provocation and in very difficult circumstances, they did just that.”

Scotland Yard insisted that it had facilitated the event up until the point when people began to make political speeches, at which stage officers moved in to break up what had become an illegal gathering under Covid regulataions.

Four people were arrested but footage of the police's actions went viral, leading to widespread condemnation.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, expressed concern over the Met's conduct and after holding an emergency meeting with Dame Cressida said he was not satisfied with the force's explanation.

The report added: "Police officers are ordinary men and women doing their jobs. They are citizens in uniform, part of the community. Just as much as their fellow citizens, they are entitled to be treated with decency. They are expected to act with restraint when faced with severe provocation."

'Knee-jerk politicians make police's job more dangerous'

The Metropolitan Police Federation demanded an apology from politicians who had criticised them, and damaged their reputation.

Ken Marsh, Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: “The outcome of this report comes as no surprise. We said on the very evening that politicians of all parties should make themselves aware of all the facts before rushing to judgment and making statements.

“But these armchair critics on their Saturday night sofas did not. The knee-jerk commentary from politicians of all parties – who, as the report states, were reacting to a snapshot on social media rather than the facts – has made the already difficult job of our colleagues in London incredibly harder. And more dangerous. And for that these people should be ashamed.

“As the independent report states: “Condemnation of the Met’s actions within mere hours of the vigil – including from people in positions of responsibility – was unwarranted, showed a lack of respect for public servants facing a complex situation, and undermined public confidence in policing based on very limited evidence.”

“We could not have said it better ourselves. This was outrageous behaviour from those who should know better and we trust as elected officials and we now call on these politicians to make themselves accountable and to apologise to our hard-working colleagues for the damage they have done.”

In a statement, Sadiq Khan, said while he accepted the report's findings he was still concerned about the trust and confidence women had in policing in London.

“I completely understand why women, girls and allies wanted to hold a vigil to remember Sarah at Clapham Common and show solidarity with all women who have been subjected to violence at the hands of men.  

“While I do not have operational control over the police, I called for the Government and MPS to find a way to allow the vigil to happen legally and safely in advance of Saturday 13 March, and was provided with assurances that the MPS would police it sensitively. 

“It is my job to stand up on behalf of Londoners and ensure that there is effective scrutiny of the Metropolitan Police - particularly in the light of such widespread public dismay.

“I accept the HMICFRS report, but it is clear that trust and confidence of women and girls in the police and criminal justice system is far from adequate. The events of the weekend of 13/14 March have done further damage to this and show that much more needs to be done.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “The Home Secretary received the Inspectorate’s report this morning and is studying its findings closely.

“She is grateful to Sir Thomas Winsor, HMI Matt Parr and their team for conducting this review at speed. “She recognises that the police have done a difficult job throughout the pandemic and is grateful for their tireless work.”

The HMICFRS report also suggested the event may have been "hijacked" by those with a political agenda.

It concluded that while the vast majority of those who attended the vigil behaved in a dignified and respectful way, the "peaceful and reasonable intent of the many was overshadowed by the malign actions of a few". 

One policeman told inspectors that the verbal abuse directed at officers "was some of the worst I have come across in my 16 years of policing".    

Another female officer recalled: “During the incident, I distinctly remember multiple women coming up to me...wishing I was raped, with one female saying words to the effect of: ‘I hope you get raped, so you know what it’s like’. 

The HMICFRS report stated: "Police officers are ordinary men and women doing their jobs. They are citizens in uniform, part of the community. 

"Just as much as their fellow citizens, they are entitled to be treated with decency. They are expected to act with restraint when faced with severe provocation."

The report also revealed that the police have received 463 messages of praise and 181 messages of criticism.

Responding to the report the Met's Assistant Commissioner, Louisa Rolfe, said the force was determined to do everything it could to tackle violence against women and girls.

She went on: “This report makes clear the difficult circumstances officers faced as a peaceful vigil became a hostile rally. We must always be consistent in our policing of public events.

“I am extremely proud of the restraint, compassion and professionalism officers showed during a fast-moving and challenging situation.

“They spent considerable time engaging, explaining and encouraging before considering any enforcement action.

“Officers acted thoughtfully, sensibly and proportionately with the best interests of Londoners at heart given we remain in a public health crisis.

“We welcome the considered scrutiny of this event which highlights how a snapshot may not represent the full context of the challenges police face.”

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said the police watchdog's report into Sarah Everard's vigil had "cleared" the Met police of any wrongdoing and she was "sickened" by the "violence" of a minority at the event.

"There were a majority of individuals whose behaviour led to some of the scenes that we saw. Quite frankly I was absolutely appalled and sickened to see the level of violence that was being displayed to police officers including violent behaviour to female officers," said Ms Patel. 

She also criticised those who had "prejudged" the actions of the police based on footage "without knowing the full facts". 

"That's why I commissioned the report," she added.