Wayne Couzens: Sarah Everard killer linked to 2015 indecent exposure incident
Wayne Couzens #WayneCouzens
image copyrightMet Police image captionWayne Couzens will be sentenced for the murder of Sarah Everard in September
Met Police officer Wayne Couzens was accused of indecent exposure by a woman six years before he murdered Sarah Everard, it has emerged.
Kent Police is now being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over whether it handled the allegations in 2015 properly.
It also examining allegations that the Met did not investigate adequately another claim Couzens exposed himself.
That alleged incident happened in south London only days before the murder.
Two officers are under investigation for possible breaches of professional standards in relation to the alleged flashing offence, said to have happened in a fast-food restaurant.
In total, the IOPC said 12 gross misconduct or misconduct notices had so far been served on police officers from several forces relating to the Couzens case.
There is a separate investigation into allegations that a probationary Met constable, who was at a cordon around a scene of investigation in the case, shared an “inappropriate graphic” with colleagues via social media. Three officers have been served with gross misconduct notices in relation to that allegation.
The IOPC is also examining allegations that officers from several different police forces breached standards of professional behaviour by sharing via a messaging app information that was linked to the prosecution of Couzens.
One officer has been served with a gross misconduct notice and another six have received misconduct notices.
media captionCommissioner Cressida Dick: “All of us in the Met are sickened, angered and devastated”
Additionally, the IOPC is examining the circumstances around Couzens sustaining head injuries in custody, on 10 and 12 March, while he was being held on suspicion of Ms Everard’s murder.
It said all officers in that inquiry were being treated as witnesses.
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