Police Boss Who Made ‘Horrific’ Sarah Everard Remarks Resigns
Published
| Last updated
A Yorkshire police boss who caused outrage after making ‘unforgivable’ comments about the murder of Sarah Everard has resigned.
In the wake of former Met police officer Wayne Couzens being sentenced to a whole life order for the kidnap, rape and murder of Everard, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott claimed in a radio interview that women should learn to be more ‘streetwise’ – a comment that was widely criticised as victim-blaming.
Earlier today, the panel that Allott reports to unanimously passed a no-confidence vote and urged him to step down, however, he initially stated he would stay in the job and attempt to ‘regain people’s trust.’
In a statement issued in the hours following the vote, Allott said that it had become clear that resigning was the ‘honourable thing’ to do, and that he was doing so ‘to restore confidence in the office which I believe will be almost impossible for me to do, and to enable victims’ voices to be heard clearly without the distraction of the continued furore which surrounds me.’
Members of North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime panel, which oversees the commissioner but has no power to remove a person from the role, said following the no-confidence vote that Allott’s comments were ‘at best naive, crass even, at worst wrong-headed, misguided.’
Allott had previously apologised for his remarks, in which he told BBC Radio York that women should know ‘when they can be arrested and when they can’t be arrested,’ after more than 800 complaints were received by his office.
‘As all of North Yorkshire knows, it was wrong, entirely misconceived [and] grossly insensitive,’ he told the panel ahead of the vote.
Several other high ranking police figures, including Met commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, have also faced calls to resign following alleged failings surrounding the Everard case.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Topics: News, Met Police, Now, Sarah Everard
Credits
North Yorkshire PFCCNorth Yorkshire PFCC
Philip Allott to resign as Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner
