'I'm never getting in a car with a male police officer alone', says caller after David Carrick's guilty plea

17 January 2023, 10:04

'I'm not getting in a car with any male police officer alone, no matter what!'

By Madeleine Wilson

This caller told Nick Ferrari "it feels like the vile Wayne Couzens was just the tip of an incredibly dreadful iceberg", after she said she feels "very unsafe" as a single woman.

Kate from Brockenhurst spoke to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast after The Metropolitan Police said 1,633 cases of alleged sexual offences or domestic violence involving 1,071 officers and other staff are being reviewed to ensure the appropriate decisions were made.

It comes after Met officer PC David Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 offences against 12 women, including dozens of rapes.

Speaking to Nick, Kate said she felt "worried" after the news of PC David Carrick and said she felt the same after Sarah Everard's murder in 2021.

Wayne Couzens, 48, used his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant card and handcuffs when he snatched Ms. Everard as she walked home in Clapham, south London, on the evening of March 3.

She said: "I remember thinking at the time, I'm not going to allow an individual police officer to arrest me."

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Nick asked Kate: "What would it take to restore your confidence then Kate?"

She replied: "First of all I don't want it to be an individual male officer.

"He has to be either with another police officer or it would have to be a female."

Nick said: "Why do you accept two blokes?"

Kate told Nick she "would" accept two blokes, telling him that "god forbid" two police officers would work in tandem on sexually predatory crimes.

However, she added: "But how would we feel confident that wouldn't happen now?

"It feels like the vile Wayne Couzens was just the tip of an incredibly dreadful iceberg of what's going on.

"I feel very unsafe as a single woman when I should be able to turn round to a police officer and say I need your help when actually I'm gonna go in the other direction quite frankly."

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