Owami Davies, a 24-year-old student nurse from Essex who had been missing for nearly seven weeks, has been found alive and well in Hampshire, the Met Police has confirmed.
Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney, who led the investigation into her disappearance, described the news as “the outcome we were all hoping and praying for,” adding that Owami is currently with specialist officers from his team.
He added: "She looks in good health, she's in a place of safety, and not currently in the vulnerable state that we were led to believe she was in at the start of her disappearance."
“The bare minimum a woman should expect when she takes the brave step to report domestic abuse, is that the officer she speaks to is not a perpetrator himself.”
Concerns around the Met's handling of the investigation into Owami's disappearance were raised after they released CCTV pictures of another woman, which were then used in a string of news reports about Owami. The pictures were then retracted by the Met.
The Met has also been criticised after it emerged that police officers had spoken to Owami on the day she was reported missing after a Croydon resident raised concerns about her welfare.
In a statement, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said: “We can confirm that we received a referral on August 5 from the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to contact officers had with Owami Davies in Croydon on July 6, after she had been reported missing to Essex Police."
In the latest statement from the Met Police, Commander Paul Brogden added, “We know there have been concerns raised around the search for Owami. We, alongside our colleagues in Essex Police, will be carrying out a review of all our actions from when Owami was first reported missing to ensure we have acted correctly and to identify any ways to improve our response to finding other missing people.”
Just 1% of officers accused have been sacked.
The Met had previously called on members of the public to share any information they might have concerning the disappearance of Owami Davies. Earlier today (23 August 2022), it was confirmed that she had been discovered after the 118th reported sighting, which was received at 10:30 BST this morning.
According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police, five people have been arrested during the course of the investigation for offences of suspected murder or kidnapping. They have all since been released on bail, as the Met said there was no evidence she had been harmed.
In the Met's latest statement, Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney added, “I would like to sincerely thank the media and public for sharing appeals to find Owami. Your help in cases like this is crucial and we are very grateful. I’d like to also thank colleagues at Essex Police for their invaluable assistance during this investigation.
“I would now politely request that the privacy of Owami and her family are respected at this time.”
