Three Metropolitan Police officers have been charged with sending “grossly offensive” messages in a WhatsApp group used by Wayne Couzens.
The messages, from between April and August 2019, were uncovered by a watchdog investigation following the murder of Sarah Everard last year.
Rosemary Ainslie, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “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 men, who have not yet been officially named, were all officers at the time of the alleged offences in 2019.
Two are currently serving in the force and one has subsequently left. The Independent understands that Couzens is not among the officers charged.
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They have been charged with sending grossly offensive messages on a public communications network, contrary to section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.
All three defendants will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 March.
The charges came after an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
“The IOPC’s investigation began following a referral from the Metropolitan Police Service in April last year and was completed in December when we referred a file of evidence to the CPS,” the watchdog said.
Couzens kidnapped, raped and murdered Ms Everard, after staging a fake arrest as she walked home during Covid restrictions.
Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Show all 36
1/36Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil
Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A well-wisher places flowers at a bandstand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A woman cries at a memorial site at the Clapham Common Bandstand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People mourn at a memorial site
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People mourn at a memorial site
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A group of women hug as they stand in front of tributes for Sarah Everard
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A photograph of Sarah Everard is left with tributes to her at the bandstand on Clapham Common
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A woman reacts at a memorial site
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Stones with signatures on them lie at a memorial site at the Clapham Common Bandstand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Two women embrace as they stand before tributes for Sarah Everard
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People leave floral tributes
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather at a memorial site in Clapham Common Bandstand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather to lay flowers and pay their respects
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A message is seen among the flowers on Clapham Common
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People mourn at a memorial site at the Clapham Common Bandstand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A woman leaves a floral tribute
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A woman reacts at a memorial site
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather at a memorial site in Clapham Common Bandstand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Members of the public surround tributes for Sarah Everard at the bandstand on Clapham Common
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Well-wishers make their way towards a band-stand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather at a memorial site
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather at a memorial site
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Women gather at the band stand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather at the band stand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A woman reacts as she looks at tributes
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather to lay flowers and pay their respects
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather at the band stand
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather at a memorial site
Reuters
Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather at the band stand
AP
Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A woman holds a sign at a memorial site
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People gather
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil People in the crowd turn on their phone torches
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A woman holds up a placard
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Well-wishers shout slogans as they gather
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil A woman is arrested
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Police officers form a cordon
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Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Tributes paid to Sarah Everard at Clapham Common vigil Police detain a woman
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The case has sparked an independent review into the Metropolitan Police’s “standards and culture”, and a separate public inquiry that will probe whether opportunities to stop Couzens were missed, and wider issues with vetting.
Dame Cressida Dick announced her resignation as commissioner last week, following pressure from the mayor of London after a fresh scandal over misogyny and racism at Charing Cross police station.