Sarah Everard’s Mother Reflects on Daughter’s Life on Fifth Anniversary of Her Murder

On the fifth anniversary of her death, Sarah Everard’s mother, Susan Everard, paid tribute to her daughter’s vibrant life, remembering her as a loving, principled, and adventurous young woman. Her reflections, published in British Vogue, offer a poignant glimpse into the life of the 33-year-ancient marketing executive whose murder sparked national mourning and a reckoning with violence against women.

A Golden Time and a Love of Adventure

Susan Everard shared a photograph of her daughter taken at the V Festival in 2010, noting Sarah was “thrilled” to be featured in a street style series by the magazine. She described this period as a “golden time” following Sarah’s graduation, when she had recently returned from travels in Southeast Asia and was planning future adventures. Source: British Vogue

Sarah’s passion for travel extended beyond Southeast Asia, encompassing trips to South America, South Africa, and a trek in Nepal. Her mother emphasized her daughter’s curiosity and zest for life, stating she “made the most of life” and approached it with “decency and integrity.” Source: The Guardian, Source: LBC

More Than Just Adventure: A Multifaceted Personality

Beyond her adventurous spirit, Susan Everard highlighted her daughter’s diverse talents and qualities. She remembered Sarah as a “beautiful dancer” and a woman with a keen sense of humor, recalling a sketch Sarah made of a shopper encountering an Amazon Go store. Source: The Guardian

She also described Sarah as thoughtful, dependable, and highly principled, someone who valued justice and wasn’t afraid to speak out against injustice. Simple pleasures, like swapping recipes and cooking, were also cherished aspects of their relationship. Source: British Vogue

A Lasting Loss and Calls for Change

Susan Everard recounted the pain of only seeing her daughter’s flat in Brixton Hill on video due to Covid-19 lockdowns, and the poignant experience of clearing it out after Sarah’s death with her father, Jeremy. She noted the care and style Sarah had put into making her home welcoming. Source: The Guardian

Sarah Everard was murdered by Wayne Couzens, an off-duty Metropolitan police constable, in March 2021. The case exposed failings within the police vetting process and sparked widespread concerns about the safety of women. Source: LBC

Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, acknowledged that trust in the force remains an issue for some women, but stated they are working to “root out” potentially dangerous officers. Source: LBC

Farah Nazeer, CEO of Women’s Aid, emphasized that Sarah’s murder revealed “entrenched misogyny within the police force” and called for continued action to address violence against women and girls. Source: LBC