Police watchdog drops rape review
By politics.co.uk staff
A major investigation into the treatment of rape victims has been dropped.
It has emerged HM Inspectorate of Constabulary decided to shelve its inquiry into police failings after the Stern review, published in March, called for attention to be focused on victims.
The Home Office claimed the probe’s funding had been withdrawn because of overlap with other reviews being carried out.
It comes amid efforts by home secretary Theresa May to cut costs. Wider concerns about the effect of impending budget cuts on police numbers are reflected in the suggestion Ms May withdrew funding for the probe in a bid to save money.
Former government rape adviser David Gee told the Telegraph newspaper a revised review, which will concentrate on treatment of offenders, will not help tackle the problem of officers who are “ignorant of the mindset of victims”.
A number of recent high-profile cases have highlighted errors by detectives, fuelling public concern.
Among them is that of London cabbie John Worboys, who was able to carry out hundreds of sexual assaults on women in spite of multiple warnings from victims to police officers who did not believe their claims.
