THE TIMES, Law p7, 27 NOVEMBER 2001
THE MET IS MAKING RAPE CASES A PRIORITY
Jim Webster, of the Metropolitan Police, and Richard Sumray, of the Metropolitan Police Authority, reply to the recent open letter by Women Against Rape
Rape is perhaps the most devastating of all acts conducted by one human being on another. The damage to the victim is life changing. However, as the level of reported rapes in London has risen, conviction rates have fallen. This dilemma prompted the Metropolitan Police and the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), uniquely among UK police forces, to make rape a priority this year.
There is agreement nationally that the high rate of attrition in rape is not acceptable. To blame the police alone does not recognise the many and complex reasons for it. Other aspects of the criminal justice system also need to be examined. Legislation supporting vulnerable and intimidated victims is welcome, and the reform of sex offences law under the Home Office proposals Setting The Boundaries needs to be brought to Parliament quickly.
The Met is committed to doing more to improve the care given to rape victims. In partnership with Kings College Hospital at Camberwell it has established the Haven, a sexual assault referral centre where victims can access all medical, advice and counselling services. Victims can refer themselves to the centre anonymously if they wish. These self-referrals provide vital intelligence about patterns of crime and offenders.
Other innovations include setting up teams specialising in the investigation of rape, early evidence kits for use in connection with drug rape allegations, performance indicators to monitor each boroughs progress and a 24-hour advice line for investigators. The Met is piloting the use of video to take statements, allowing victims to give their evidence in a more effective way. The Met also works closely with its Independent Advisory Group, which represents experts from partnership organisations and the voluntary sector.
There are differences in the levels of service and we are working towards providing a more consistently professional standard. The MPA is undertaking a scrutiny of the Met’s performance. This scrutiny, independent of the police, is focusing on victims views . The MPA has written to all victim support agencies in London, including Women Against Rape.
We are committed to working with all groups who have a stake in victim care but focusing on what is missing, to the exclusion of what has been achieved, weakens partnerships and ignores the real enemy those who rape and harm others.
“WE ARE COMMITTED TO EVERY COMPLAINANT"
Detective Inspector Caroline Goode, Metropolitan Police Officer in charge of the sexual offences team in Lambeth, says: Having been involved in the investigation of rape for more than 20 years, I, too, consider myself to be a woman against rape. I have witnessed first hand the vast improvement in the service provided to rape victims. As an organisation, we are constantly looking for ways to improve the service we provide, to lower attrition rates and increase successful prosecutions.
To judge performance solely on judicial disposal rates or convictions, however, does not provide an accurate reflection. For many victims prosecution is not the answer. There are many reasons for not wishing to prosecute and it does not necessarily follow that lack of confidence in the police or police incompetence is always the reason. I believe that the investigative process should empower victims by allowing them to make an informed choice in a supportive environment. To do that it is right and proper that they should be provided with an accurate picture of what the process will involve. This can be achieved in an encouraging, supportive manner. It does nobody a service in the long run to pretend that the process will not be challenging, only for the victim to find out the hard way. To do so would be nothing short of abusive, a breach of trust. Victims should be vigorously encouraged and enabled to pursue a prosecution but, ultimately, the choice is theirs.
I work in Lambeth, one of the busiest police boroughs in the country. We are committed to providing a high quality service to each and every complainant. Our dedicated Sexual Offences Investigative Technique (SOIT) Team provides immediate response on a 24-hour basis, ensuring that in the vast majority of cases victims are contacted by a SOIT officer and a medical examination commences within an hour. The victim is encouraged and supported at every stage of the investigation and we receive a great deal of positive feedback from our survivors.
For the past six months Twenty Twenty Television has been filming a documentary for Channel 4 about rape investigation. It was a brave decision by the officers who agreed to be filmed, knowing they will be held up to scrutiny by the nation. However, I believe that it will demonstrate the high quality of victim care and investigation we provide. It will also show the difficulties that police encounter in successfully pursuing a prosecution. The cases are not chosen to make us look good but are a random selection.
I am not arrogant enough to think we have all the answers. Like the hundreds of fellow officers, professionals and volunteers, who packed the National Conference on Rape recently, I am committed to improving rape investigation. I hope the documentary will encourage victims to come forward in the knowledge that they will be supported, but if it does nothing more than identify good or bad practice and lead to further improvement in the service, it will be a success in its own right.
THE STATISTICS BEHIND THE CRIMES
Twenty-five
per cent of violent crime is domestic violence
Two women are killed every week in
domestic violence incidents
A domestic rape, beating or stabbing
occurs every 6-20 seconds
Victims are assaulted on average 35
times before seeking help
In 90 per cent of cases, children
are in the same room or the next, and in a third, the child is injured
trying to protect the vulnerable parent
Survivors of Rape and Domestic Violence