A serving British police officer has admitted the rape and kidnap of Sarah Everard whose killing sparked anger and soul-searching about what police, government and society can do to stop male violence against women, the BBC reported on Tuesday.

Wayne Couzens, 48, a London officer whose role it was to guard diplomatic premises, also accepted responsibility for killing Everard but did not enter a plea while medical reports were being prepared, the BBC said, citing his lawyers.

Everard, 33, was abducted as she walked home from a friend's house in south London on March 3. Her body was later found in woodland around 50 miles away in southeast England.

Her murder provoked outpourings of anger from women who have recounted their own experiences and fears of walking the streets on their own at night.