The way that indecent exposure offences are treated by the justice system will be reviewed as the Government has said it will implement recommendations made by an inquiry into Sarah Everard's murder.
The Home Office said it has accepted all recommendations made by Lady Elish Angiolini in the first part of her inquiry into the failures which led to the marketing executive's abduction, rape and murder by a serving police officer.
Research will be commissioned to look into any evidence of a link between masturbatory indecent exposure and later serious sexual offending, while a public campaign will be launched to raise awareness that indecent exposure and sending unsolicited explicit photographs amounts to criminality.
The moves follow the publication last month of the Lady Elish’s findings into the failings which allowed Wayne Couzens, a serving Met officer, to kidnap, rape and murder Sarah Everard in March 2021.
Her report found that police had failed to adequately pursue eight incidents of indecent exposure involving Couzens before he used his police position to trick Ms Everard into getting into his car under the guise of making an arrest.
Lady Elish said changes were needed in response including treating indecent exposure with the “seriousness” the offence merited.
Announcing the review on Monday, Home Secretary James Cleverly said Ms Everard’s murder had been “sickening and, tragically, avoidable” and that she had been “fundamentally failed by the institutions which were meant to keep her safe.
He added: “Since her death, huge strides have already been taken to root out officers not fit to wear the badge and bolster safeguards to prevent the wrong people joining the force.
“Now we will work with policing partners to understand the link between indecent exposure and an escalation in behaviour to ensure the right measures are in place to catch more criminals, earlier.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, said: “The Angiolini Inquiry made for shocking and sombre reading, a view which I know is shared across policing.
“We must ensure there is nowhere to hide in policing for wrongdoers, that we lead a police service which the public, and especially women and girls, can trust to protect them and that we are uncompromising on the high standards our communities deserve.”
Lady Elish said: “I am very pleased that the Home Secretary has today responded by confirming that the Government accepts all three of the recommendations made to it.
"In accepting all my recommendations, Government and policing have shown they recognise the need for change and are committed to doing everything they can to ensure that there isn’t another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight."
