Davina McCall has faced a wave of backlash after she said calling all men dangerous is ‘bad for our sons, brothers and partners,’ in the wake of the Sarah Everard murder.
Earlier today Metropolitan Police confirmed human remains found in Ashford, Kent, were those of Sarah, 33, who disappeared while walking home in Clapham on March 3.
Wayne Couzens, 48, a serving Met Police officer, has been arrested in connection with her kidnap and murder, as well as an unrelated indecent exposure allegation, which police say happened three days before Sarah vanished.
The marketing executive’s death has prompted an outpouring of emotion on Twitter, as women share their experience of being approached and harassed in the street.
But presenter Davina McCall hit back today, tweeting: ‘Female abduction / murder is extremely rare. Yes we should all be vigilant when out alone.
‘But this level of fear-mongering isn’t healthy. And men’s mental health is an issue as well. Calling all men out as dangerous is bad for our sons, brothers, partners.’
Broadcasters, magazine editors and other women have hit out at the claim, while some men online defended McCall’s comments.
Davina McCall has warned Twitter users against ‘fear-mongering,’ following the death of Sarah Everard, who vanished while walking home from Clapham on March 3
Marketing executive Sarah Everard vanished from Clapham last week. Today Met Police confirmed human remains found in Ashford, Kent, had been identified as hers. Wayne Couzens, a 48-year-old police officer, remains in custody
Caroline Hirons replied: ‘When a woman is murdered at the hands of a man every 2.5 days it is not the time to pacify a fragile male ego. This is not a good message Davina. We all know it’s not ALL men. But it IS men.’
Terri White, editor of Empire Magazine, wrote: ‘Female murder isn’t rare. Rape isn’t rare. Domestic violence isn’t rare. We have an epidemic of violence against women (by men) in this country and this is so unhelpful and hurtful to every women who’s been abused, assaulted, harassed, beaten, raped or yes, killed.’
Broadcaster Maia Dunphy added: ‘This is not helpful at all Davina. Horrible occurrences like this one trigger conversations about how often women are made to feel unsafe in everyday life.
Davina McCall said she avoids going out in the dark as it ‘gives me the willies,’ after followers criticised her tweet earlier today
‘I don’t know a single man whose mental health would suffer because of amplifying this vital conversation.’
Columnist Beth McColl said: ‘We’re not only talking about being murdered by a stranger.
‘We’re discussing everything that contributes to a culture where that happens. everyday misogyny, catcalling, domestic abuse, victim blaming, the majority of rapists who never see court. nobody is saying all men.’
While the former Big Brother presenter mostly faced backlash for her comments, others, mostly men, agreed with her.
The Sun’s Dan Wootton replied: ‘Davina for PM!’
Another user, Simon Mastin, said: ‘Well said! Data suggests that 73% of homicide victims were male last year.
‘We are all at risk, we must remain vigilant but remember that this type of crime is rare. We need to educate, be educated but most of all we must not live in fear.’
Some men decided to defend Davina’s comments, saying ‘we must not live in fear,’ while agreeing that ‘this type of crime is rare’
High Court battle to overturn police ban on Sarah Everard vigil begins after Scotland Yard claimed ‘Reclaim These Streets’ event was illegal due to Covid
A judge has today refused to overturn a police ban on a vigil planned in response to the disappearance of Sarah Everard.
Mr Justice Holgate said it would not be ‘appropriate for the court’ to make the declaration sought by Reclaim These Streets that any ban on outdoor gatherings under coronavirus regulations is ‘subject to the right to protest’.
In a ruling tonight, the judge also refused to make a declaration that an alleged policy by the Metropolitan Police of ‘prohibiting all protests, irrespective of the specific circumstances’ is unlawful.
Organisers of the vigil planned for Clapham Common today launched the High Court battle after claiming the Metropolitan Police ‘reversed their position’ on permitting the gathering to go ahead.
They said there had been an ‘about-face’ by the Met and were told Saturday’s Reclaim These Streets event would not be permitted due to the lockdown.
Downing Street said Boris Johnson ‘completely understands the strength of feeling’ around Ms Everard’s disappearance, but urged people to abide by coronavirus restrictions.
The group had challenged the force’s interpretations of Covid-19 restrictions when read against human rights law at a hearing tonight.
Speaking in the High Court, Mr Holgate said it would not be ‘appropriate for the court’ to make the declaration sought by Reclaim These Streets.
Iain Morrison said: ‘I absolutely agree. Most of us are good people. Why should I suffer because some nasty individuals are a threat?
‘The best solution is for women to take up a legitimate self-defense class like Krav Maga or MMA if they are concerned. Thanks for standing up for us, Davina!’
Davina defended herself from some replies too.
Louise Clark said: ‘I don’t think people are calling all men dangerous but some are and when we’re walking home alone in the dark, we can’t tell which ones are and which ones aren’t.’
To which the 53-year-old said: ‘I wouldn’t walk home alone in the dark. And lots of men I know wouldn’t either… because there are some ( very few relatively ) bad people out there.
‘But your response is say you view all men as a danger and I don’t think we should be spreading that message.’
Earlier today a judge refused to overturn a police ban on a vigil planned in response to the disappearance of Sarah Everard.
Mr Justice Holgate said it would not be ‘appropriate for the court’ to make the declaration sought by Reclaim These Streets that any ban on outdoor gatherings under coronavirus regulations is ‘subject to the right to protest’.
In a ruling tonight, the judge also refused to make a declaration that an alleged policy by the Metropolitan Police of ‘prohibiting all protests, irrespective of the specific circumstances’ is unlawful.
Organisers of the vigil planned for Clapham Common today launched the High Court battle after claiming the Metropolitan Police ‘reversed their position’ on permitting the gathering to go ahead.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) started an investigation last night into the Met’s handling of the Sarah Everard case and allegations relating to the prime suspect Wayne Couzens.
Couzens was accused of flashing someone twice in a Kent McDonald’s just 72 hours before Sarah was kidnapped.
A statement from police watchdog the IOPC revealed they had received two reports of an indecent exposures at the restaurant.
But it did not give any details on whether both alleged incidents happened on the same day, the location of the restaurants or either times of the alleged flashings.
This is despite the police still appealing for witnesses for their investigations.
MailOnline has learned that the restaurant in question was the Swanley service station branch situated on the A20 East. McDonald’s directed enquiries to the Met, who refused to comment.
Police have not given any information on what action they took on the reports, other than sources insisting they may not have reached ‘command level’.
The disappearance of Sarah Everard and the arrest of armed policeman Wayne Couzens
2020/2021: Wayne Couzens is said to have been behaving erratically and had spent a considerable period of time off sick for an unknown issue.
February 28: Couzens allegedly exposes himself in a McDonald’s restaurant.
The incident is now being investigated by Britain’s police watchdog. It is not clear if Couzens was arrested, spoken to or of officers even attended the incident at the unnamed restaurant.
But it is known that Couzens continued to work as an armed police officer after the incident.
March 3: Sarah vanished ‘into thin air’ after leaving friend’s home Clapham around 9pm. She leaves out of her friend’s back gate and speaks to her boyfriend on the phone for 15 minutes.
Around three miles away Wayne Couzens finishes a 6-hour shift guarding the US Embassy in Battersea.
March 5: Sarah’s family share missing posters of her after they become increasingly concerned that she is still not home, spreading the word online with links to the Missing People charity.
March 6: Met Police release an appeal, saying Sarah was thought to have walked through Clapham Common, heading towards Brixton home, a journey of 50 minutes. They say they are not certain she ever arrived home.
March 7: Police release footage of Ms Everard and say she was walking alone on A205 Poynders Road towards Tulse Hill when she was last seen on CCTV, which has not been released to the police.
March 8: Specialist officers are drafted and 120 calls from public come in. A door-to-door operation sees police speak to 750 families
March 9: Police search gardens near Ms Everard’s route and nearby Oaklands Estate.
Officers also search a pond in Clapham Common and drains along the A205
Cordon around the Poynders Court housing complex on Poynders Road, forensics officers on scene
11.59pm: Met police officer Wayne Couzens arrested in Kent on suspicion of kidnap. A woman in her 30s is arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Neighbours say they spotted a Land Rover containing two men watching the property for two hours before around 20 officers raided the house.
A shirtless Couzens was led from the house in handcuffs with one witness saying: ‘He looked very calm – just walked out’.
March 10: Specialist police search team arrives in Kent. They search Couzens’ home and garden as well as nearby Betteshanger Park which is around two-and-a-half- miles from the house as well as an abandoned leisure complex in Great Chart near Ashford.
3pm: Met Police confirm the arrested man is an officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command. They disclose he has now been re-arrested on suspicion of the murder of Sarah Everard and the indecent exposure of a second woman. They refuse to say when or where the alleged indecent exposure took place.
8pm: Dame Cressida Dick confirms human remains were found in woodland in Ashford, Kent in the search for Sarah. She was unable to confirm whether the remains belonged to the missing woman.
March 11: 10am: Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was ‘shocked and deeply saddened by the developments in the Sarah Everard investigation’, adding ‘we must work fast to find all the answers to this horrifying crime’.
Home Secretary Priti Patel added: ‘Every woman should feel safe to walk on our streets without fear of harassment or violence. At this deeply sad and tragic time as we think and pray for Sarah and her family’.
4pm: Police later confirm the suspect was treated in hospital for a head injury sustained while in custody, before being returned to a police station.
Ms Everard’s family release a statement paying tribute to her as a ‘shining example to us all’, adding that she ‘brought so much joy to our lives’.
The Met reveals an extension to the suspect’s detention was granted by a magistrates’ court, while the woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender is released on bail to return to a police station on a date in mid-April.
6pm: The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) says it has launched an investigation into the Met’s response to a report of indecent exposure following referrals linked to the arrest of the suspect.
The police watchdog says its independent probe follows a ‘conduct referral’ from the force in relation to two officers, and will look at the Met’s actions after it received a report on February 28 that ‘a man had exposed himself at a fast food restaurant in south London’.
Organisers of a vigil for Ms Everard say they are seeking legal action against the Met after claiming the force reversed its position on allowing the event planned for March 13 to go ahead.
March 12: Searches ramp up in the tunnels carved into the White Cliffs of Dover that run around and below Couzens’ family garage.
Teams remain at Couzens’ home in Deal and in woodland near Ashford where human remains were found.
2pm: Scotland Yard confirms the body found in Kent woodland is Sarah. Her family have been informed.
