Three police officers have been charged with allegations they shared racist and misogynistic messages with Sarah Everard’s murderer Wayne Couzens, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.
Two of the accused are serving Metropolitan officers while the other is a former member of the police force.
The alleged offences took place on a WhatsApp group chat.
They will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 March for their first hearing.
In a statement, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said: “Two serving Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers and one former MPS officer are to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on March 16 charged in connection with an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into the sending and sharing of inappropriate messages on WhatsApp.
“They are charged with sending grossly offensive messages on a public communications network contrary to section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.
“The offences are alleged to have occurred between April and August 2019.
“The IOPC’s investigation began following a referral from the MPS in April last year (2021) and was completed in December when we referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS has now taken the decision to authorise charges against the officers.”
Rosemary Ainslie, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said: “Following a referral of evidence by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the CPS has authorised charges against two serving Metropolitan Police officers and one former officer.
“Each of the three defendants has been charged with sending grossly offensive messages on a public communications network. The alleged offences took place on a WhatsApp group chat.
“The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges to a court to consider.
“Criminal proceedings are active and nothing should be published that could jeopardise the defendants right to a fair trial.”
Couzens is serving a whole term life sentence for the rape and murder of Ms Everard.
