The mother of Sarah Everard has delivered a heart-wrenching statement to the official inquiry investigating her daughter's murder, describing how she remains tormented by the thought of Sarah's final hours.
A Mother's Unending Grief
Susan Everard's statement was published by the Angiolini Inquiry on Tuesday, 2 December 2025. She spoke of a life irrevocably changed since the kidnap, rape, and murder of her 33-year-old daughter by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens on 3 March 2021.
"I read that you shouldn't let a tragedy define you, but I feel that Sarah's death is such a big part of me that I'm surprised there is no outer sign of it," Susan Everard said. She described an inner sadness that persists despite outward appearances of normal life, a grief that unpredictably "rears up suddenly and pierces our hearts."
She detailed the profound loss of a future that was stolen: no wedding, no grandchildren, no family celebrations with Sarah present. "Sarah will always be missing and I will always long for her," she stated.
The Horror of Final Hours
Four years on, Susan Everard explained that while the initial shock has diminished, an overwhelming sense of loss remains. She revealed she is not yet at a point where happy memories dominate.
"When I think of her, I can't get past the horror of her last hours," she said. "I am still tormented by the thought of what she endured." She spoke of cycling through emotions including sadness, rage, panic, and guilt, emotions that have become more spaced out over time but are no less sharp.
Wayne Couzens is serving a whole life order for his crimes, a sentence meaning he will never be released from prison.
Inquiry's Call for Urgent Action
The Angiolini Inquiry, led by former solicitor general for Scotland Lady Elish Angiolini, published its findings alongside Susan Everard's statement. The report calls for urgent action to prevent further violent and sexual attacks against women and girls.
Lady Angiolini issued a direct challenge to leaders, stating: "There is no better time to act than now. I want leaders to, quite simply, get a move on. There are lives at stake."
The inquiry has previously highlighted systemic failures, noting that Couzens should never have been a police officer, raising serious questions about vetting and culture within the Metropolitan Police.
