Following the publication of the first report by The Angiolini Inquiry into the murder of Sarah Everard, Lib Dem Mayoral candidate, Rob Blackie, has criticised the Mayor for his continued failures on London’s women’s safety.

Three years after the murder of Sarah Everard by a rogue Metropolitan Police officer, Blackie cites how sex offences have surged, recruitment of officers focused on sexual crime is failing, and public trust in the police has collapsed during Sadiq Khan’s time in office.

Sexual offences reported to the police in London rose from 16,147 in 2015 to 24,958 in 2023 – a rise of 54%. The real figure is likely to be higher due to the ‘high rate of under-reporting of sexual violence’, according to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).

In March 2023, the Mayor pledged to recruit 565 additional police officers dedicated to tackling rape and sexual crime, known as Public Protection Officers. But, so far, only 156 have been recruited – just 28% of the promised figure.

Meanwhile, trust and confidence in the Met Police overall continues to fall – with a 16% drop in the last seven years.

Lib Dem Mayoral Candidate, Rob Blackie, said:

The shocking murder of Sarah Everard as she walked home from Clapham Common shook me to my core and The Casey Report that shortly followed is the reason I decided to stand as Mayor.

In that report, a serving police officer said that the conviction rate for rape and sex offences was so low ‘that it may as well be legal in London’. That is chilling.

The Liberal Democrats were the first to call for the sacking of then Met Commissioner, Cressida Dick, and will continue to be the strongest voice for wholesale reform of the Met.

I echo the Angiolini report’s call for those responsible for policing to ‘take immediate action’ to ensure those with the power to protect us can be trusted.

Sadiq Khan’s failure to make London safer for women since Sarah Everard’s murder represents his single biggest failure of his eight years in office.

Sexual offences remain on the rise, recruitment of key specialist officers is failing and trust is at an all-time low.

As Mayor, it will be my top priority to fix the Met and make London safer for women. We must reform the police force so it can have total focus on investigating and solving serious crimes like rape and sexual assaults.