After Sarah Everard's murder the Met Police vowed to get tough on violence against women and girls - its response two years later was this brute filmed savagely beating a woman got a caution

A man who was filmed brutally beating his partner outside her home was let off with just a caution nearly two years after Metropolitan Police chiefs vowed to crack down on violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder.

The force has been slammed over its handling of the case, which meant the abuser avoided prosecution after agreeing to accept the caution for the sickening attack.

The decision not to prosecute in connection with the July 2023 attack was more than two years after the horrific kidnap, rape and murder of Ms Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021.

In the video, captured on a mobile phone, which was shared on X on Friday, December 20 2024, by London & UK Street News on X, a couple were recorded talking, when the woman tried to calm the man by touching him softly.

However, instead, it sent him into a rage, during which he violently hurled her around before punching her 11 times, including three in the head, and slapping her twice in the face, while she screamed and sobbed.

Her face looked visibly injured before another woman came out of the address to challenge the man and ordered him to leave.  

The emergence of the video forced the Met to issue a statement on X.

It said: "This video shows a domestic violence incident that took place in Rainham on 31 July 2023. It is horrifying and difficult to watch. The man in the video was given a caution for common assault at the time.  

"Violence of any kind is unacceptable but we know violence against women and girls poses a particularly serious problem that we are determined to tackle effectively.  

"It is clear we have lessons to learn from the way we handled this case. We have made contact with the victim again to offer our support."

The video can be watched here, but this is a warning that it is harrowing content.

Viewers of the video rounded on the force for the "disgraceful" response.

One man posted: "You what?! A caution! You're an absolute disgrace."

Another said: "Sometimes it is better to say nothing and let the public think you're incompetent, stupid and/or insane instead of typing a post that proves all three."

Another posted: "A f***ing caution? And you wonder why women don't want to report when they are victims of violence and sexual assault."

A fourth man added: "This is why the public struggle holding faith with the police. You rarely turn up around the country and when you do, as is the case here, you do nothing."

A caution means a person has accepted their guilt, and it remains on their police record, but there is no further punishment.

The murder of Ms Everard was supposed to be a watershed moment for police forces acorss the country to do more to tackle violent and sexual abuse against women.

She was kidnaped by Cousens while walking home during lockdown in south London, before he drove her to Kent then raped and murdered her and tried to conceal her body.

Couzens received a whole life term for the murder in September 2021 after admitting his guilt.

About 20 months before the assault in question, in November 2021, in response, the force published a document entitled "Met Police VAWG Action Plan: What The Met is doing to bear down on violence against women and girls in London."

In the introduction former Commissioner  Cressida Dick said: "Tackling violence remains our top operational priority, including crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls, such as domestic abuse and sexual violence. Male violence against women and girls has a profound and long-lasting impact on those directly affected, shattering the lives of victims, their families and those closest to

them.

“An important part of our approach is to invite women and girls to tell us what they think needs to change, and to keep talking to us about what more we can do to create safe environments.”

If you know who the attacker in the video was email jonaustinreporter@gmail.com.