‘Rape may as well be legal in London’: UK Police review reveals woes of sexual crime victims
The Casey Review, published by Baroness Casey and commissioned by the Met, looks into the standards of Britain’s biggest police force. This year’s report disclosed practices of mismanagement within the police force
Representative image. Reuters
London: The latest report on UK Police has revealed that victims of serious sexual violence and rape were made to feel like an ‘inconvenience’ and were ‘gaslit’ by inexperienced officers.
The report, called Casey review, has sent shockwaves across the UK as it revealed the mismanagement within the Met Police. It found examples of bad practices in the form of mishandling of sexual cases including freezers holding forensic evidence that was so crammed to even break down.
One police officer said in the review, “If you look at our performance around rape, serious sexual offences, the detection rate is so low you may as well say it’s legal in London.”
“It’s kind of reflective of how we treat and view our female colleagues. You get victim-blaming, looking at a situation and not believing them,” the officer added.
The officer, who remained unnamed, said that she had “lost count” of the number of times crucial evidence pertaining to sexual crimes had been lost.
Freezers in units, which held and preserved evidence from victims and survivors like swabs, blood, urine and underwear, would be so full that it would take three officers to close them.
The woes of victims
The review recorded testimonials of officers who revealed that victims of sexual crimes were often neglected by the Met.
Researchers of the report also found that women who had been raped and left in coma were most likely to be handled by trainee detectives.
One officer said, “You don’t want to be a victim of rape in London. Anyone who relies on policing in London for anything I’m scared for.”
What is the Casey review?
The Casey Review, published by Baroness Casey and commissioned by the Met, looks into the standards of Britain’s biggest police force.
The review began in February last year and the final report was published yesterday.
The Casey Review was commissioned as a response to a public outcry after the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met officer Wayne Couzens.
The report is led by Baroness Casey of Blackstock, an independent advisor on social welfare, according to The Independent.
Met chief accepts review
The head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, has acknowledged the racism, misogyny and homophobia that has been revealed in the report.
He said, “I accept her diagnosis about the racism, misogyny and homophobia in the organisation.”
“And also that we have these systemic failings, management failings, cultural failings. I understand her use of the term institutional,” the chief added.
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