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| Sarah Everard: BT 888 phone service floated to protect lone women | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Plans for a phone service aimed at protecting lone women walking home have been set out by BT in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard. | Plans for a phone service aimed at protecting lone women walking home have been set out by BT in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard. |
| "Walk Me Home" would allow users to opt in to a GPS tracking system and an alert would be triggered if they did not reach their destination on time. | |
| The phone service, which is in the early stages, would be activated by calling a phone number, possibly 888. | The phone service, which is in the early stages, would be activated by calling a phone number, possibly 888. |
| But some campaigners argue that the real problem is male violence. | But some campaigners argue that the real problem is male violence. |
| Users of the service - which could be accessed by any network - would be able to enter their home address and other regular destinations into the mobile phone app. | |
| Before walking the user would start the app, or call or text 888. This would give the expected journey time and begin the GPS tracking. | Before walking the user would start the app, or call or text 888. This would give the expected journey time and begin the GPS tracking. |
| A message would be sent to the user at the time they were predicted to arrive at their destination. A failure to respond would issue calls to emergency contacts and then the police. | A message would be sent to the user at the time they were predicted to arrive at their destination. A failure to respond would issue calls to emergency contacts and then the police. |
| Baroness Casey to lead Sarah Everard police review | Baroness Casey to lead Sarah Everard police review |
| Sarah Everard's murderer will never be freed | Sarah Everard's murderer will never be freed |
| Writing in the Daily Mail, BT chief executive Philip Jansen said the cases of Sarah Everard, who was kidnapped as she was walking home, and Sabina Nessa, who was killed as she walked to meet a friend, filled him with "outrage and disgust" and prompted his company to take action. | |
| "Male violence is causing so many people, especially women, to live in fear," he wrote, saying that he was in a position to do something practical. | "Male violence is causing so many people, especially women, to live in fear," he wrote, saying that he was in a position to do something practical. |
| Mr Jansen said they were building the "next-generation 999 network". | |
| "We are proposing to build into it a new emergency service that would complement 999. | |
| "This new service is provisionally called 888 or 'walk me home', but it could also be used on taxi rides, public transport or any journey." | |
| He said the existence of the 888 service "should also act as a deterrent to criminals, knowing that the alarm will automatically be raised if their victim doesn't reach their destination on time, that friends and family will start ringing around and alert the police". | |
| The service needed to be tested and required funding, Mr Jansen added. | The service needed to be tested and required funding, Mr Jansen added. |
| He also acknowledged there will likely be concerns around privacy and misuse of the app, including wasting police time. | He also acknowledged there will likely be concerns around privacy and misuse of the app, including wasting police time. |
| He said he had set out the plans for the app, which could be used by anyone who felt vulnerable, in a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel. | He said he had set out the plans for the app, which could be used by anyone who felt vulnerable, in a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel. |
| Sarah Everard was murdered by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens after he falsely arrested her | Sarah Everard was murdered by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens after he falsely arrested her |
| The Daily Mail quoted Ms Patel as saying: "This new phone line is exactly the kind of innovative scheme which would be good to get going as soon as we can. I'm now looking at it with my team and liaising with BT." | The Daily Mail quoted Ms Patel as saying: "This new phone line is exactly the kind of innovative scheme which would be good to get going as soon as we can. I'm now looking at it with my team and liaising with BT." |
| But Samantha Billingham, from the Survivors of Domestic Abuse support group, tweeted: "Stop putting a plaster over things Priti Patel that need a bandage wrapped around to work and keep in place. | But Samantha Billingham, from the Survivors of Domestic Abuse support group, tweeted: "Stop putting a plaster over things Priti Patel that need a bandage wrapped around to work and keep in place. |
| "Tackle the issue in hand!" | "Tackle the issue in hand!" |
| David Challen, who became a domestic abuse campaigner after his mother Sally was jailed for killing his father having suffered years of emotional abuse and coercive control, tweeted: "Rather than develop ideas to actually tackle male violence the Home Office think tracking women with an app is a solution?! | David Challen, who became a domestic abuse campaigner after his mother Sally was jailed for killing his father having suffered years of emotional abuse and coercive control, tweeted: "Rather than develop ideas to actually tackle male violence the Home Office think tracking women with an app is a solution?! |
| "Stop restricting women's freedoms to accommodate male violence." | "Stop restricting women's freedoms to accommodate male violence." |
| And Nazir Afzal, the prosecutor of some of the UK's most notorious sex offenders, tweeted: "Any strategy that requires the potential women victims to be tagged rather than the violent male perpetrator will fail. | |
| "The cause of violence against women is a violent man, not a lone woman." | |
| Does following the 'rules' keep women safe? | Does following the 'rules' keep women safe? |
| How a police officer planned Sarah Everard's murder | How a police officer planned Sarah Everard's murder |
| A Home Office spokesman said they will respond to Mr Jansen's letter "in due course". | A Home Office spokesman said they will respond to Mr Jansen's letter "in due course". |
| "As set out in our strategy earlier this year, we need a whole of society approach to tackling violence against women and girls and welcome joint working between the private sector and government." | |
| Met Police officer Wayne Couzens murdered Sarah Everard after falsely arresting her for a breach of Covid-19 guidelines as she walked home from a friend's house in south London on 3 March. | Met Police officer Wayne Couzens murdered Sarah Everard after falsely arresting her for a breach of Covid-19 guidelines as she walked home from a friend's house in south London on 3 March. |
| He has been sentenced to a whole-life prison term. | He has been sentenced to a whole-life prison term. |
| Sabina Nessa's body was found near her home in Kidbrooke | Sabina Nessa's body was found near her home in Kidbrooke |
| And last month more than 500 people joined a vigil held in memory of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, who was killed a few minutes' walk from her London home. A 36-year-old man has been charged with her murder. | And last month more than 500 people joined a vigil held in memory of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, who was killed a few minutes' walk from her London home. A 36-year-old man has been charged with her murder. |
| London's Metropolitan Police announced on Friday that Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock will lead an independent review into the force's culture and standards following Sarah Everard's murder. | London's Metropolitan Police announced on Friday that Baroness Louise Casey of Blackstock will lead an independent review into the force's culture and standards following Sarah Everard's murder. |
| It will examine the force's vetting, recruitment and training procedures, and is expected to take six months. | It will examine the force's vetting, recruitment and training procedures, and is expected to take six months. |
| Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said the move aimed to "make sure that the public have more confidence in us". | Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said the move aimed to "make sure that the public have more confidence in us". |