logo
London's crime epidemic is far worse than people realise

London's crime epidemic is far worse than people realise

Telegraph7 days ago
I want to defend London; I really do. But it's not an easy task – which is strange for a city that has been voted the best in the world for a tenth consecutive year. I can only imagine that the team behind 'World's Best Cities' hasn't been to the capital. Or perhaps they don't have eyes or ears.
Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. What matters is that London is a mess, and it seems to be getting worse. Each new week presents a fresh horror to sully our capital city's once-great reputation. This week it's crime – that old chestnut. We now know it's far worse than people realise.
A recent study by Claire Waxman, London's first independent victims' commissioner, found that a mere 40 per cent of crimes in London are reported. Of that number, a further 40 per cent of victims withdraw from the justice process before a charging decision is made.
Why? Because they don't believe they can get a conviction. They've lost faith in the criminal justice system. We all have. The figures are even worse for domestic abuse victims: six out of ten withdraw from the justice process altogether. That figure rises to 74 per cent in cases of rape related to domestic abuse.
According to Waxman's report, police are actively dissuading victims from pursuing charges. But the Met aren't entirely to blame. The courts are also a stinking mess. Right now, there are 77,000 cases waiting to be heard. One hundred cases won't go to trial until 2029. That's four years until a victim – a person courageous enough to step forward – can experience any semblance of justice. For want of a better phrase, you're taking the proverbial.
I worry about what this means for London's future. The current situation is unsustainable. The public is tired. In Waxman's report, one domestic abuse victim was quoted as saying: 'There have been cases of people being stabbed to death and we have their faces on CCTV but they still don't get a conviction, so this won't go anywhere.' Quite literally, criminals are getting away with murder.
But whilst bemoaning the state of the criminal justice system is understandable, it doesn't get the victims any closer to justice. And I fear that people will start to take justice into their own hands. This isn't a good thing. A vigilante group is only one false accusation away from becoming a lynch mob. Besides, we shouldn't be forced to protect ourselves. We pay into the police precept for a reason: so that the police can handle the law for us.
London is already hard enough: rising rents, shoddy transport, polluted skies. The last thing we need is to start spending our evenings wandering around the streets with baseball bats in our hands and thoughts of a brighter tomorrow. This isn't The Purge.
But London certainly isn't Kansas anymore, Toto. A pint is £8. The Tube network is like the arteries of a very ill man. A room the size of an airing cupboard that smells of urine and the Gruffalo's armpit will set you back £1000 a month.
Having your phone nicked is a rite of passage. And now it seems like stabbing someone to death will get you nothing more than a slap on the wrist and a tousle of the hair. But complaining about the declining state of London will only get us so far. Instead, we should be asking the only question that matters: what are our bodies of power going to do to fix it? And when?
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse
Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse

Powys County Times

time24 minutes ago

  • Powys County Times

Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse

Carter announced she would be stepping away from the platforms for the remainder of the tournament ahead of England's dramatic 2-1 semi-final comeback against Italy to set up Sunday's final showdown with Spain. Walsh came off social media after the 2019 World Cup, when reading negative comments contributed to the midfielder genuinely entertaining the thought of quitting football. 'I think it's just a personal preference,' said Walsh, who did return to the networks, but has – bar a single post – been inactive on X since 2020. Lately, her Instagram account has solely been comprised of tagged posts by the Lionesses, or her respective current and former clubs Chelsea and Barcelona. 'I haven't had social media for the best part of four or five months, and I feel a lot better most of the time,' said Walsh. 'I don't really know what's going on outside of camp. I think at the time, with what's going on, probably more people have come off it, but I can only speak for myself. 'I think obviously the girls are smart enough to know what they should and shouldn't be looking at, and I'm sure they'll know what is going to put them in a good headspace and what isn't. 'Do I think there's enough protection on social media? No, I don't, but I'm not going to be able to change that. That's not up to me, but I think just in general, people can be more protected on social media, and I think we can do more to stop that from happening.' England defender Lucy Bronze has warned companies that athletes can 'thrive' without their services, but the reality remains that in the women's game – where new Arsenal recruit Olivia Smith just became the first £1 million player – brand-building on social media can be a lucrative tool for players earning nowhere near their male equivalents. Carter's case has now been referred to UK police, and, in a statement released Sunday, Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham vowed his organisation will 'ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice'. One feature of the Online Safety Act, which received royal assent in October 2023, places a greater onus on social media companies to protect users from illegal content. Companies can be fined up to £18 million, or 10 per cent of their global revenue, if they fail to comply with their duties, but Ofcom – which is implementing the act in a phased approach – has only been able to enforce against the Illegal Harms Codes since March 17, 2025. 'I think we would have liked it to have been stronger in some cases,' said Bullingham. 'There's a real risk that if we're not firm in how the act is implemented, it won't be as strong as we hope. 'I think now it's incumbent on Ofcom to make sure they really do bring those responsible for running social media platforms to account and I haven't seen huge progress in the last couple of years. We would like to see it now.' Foreign social media companies operating within the UK are still beholden to the act, but prosecuting individuals living outside the country responsible for abusive content – which is not uncommon – remains a huge hinderance to justice. Bullingham added: 'If you look at the prosecution, obviously we can only work with the UK police, generally. There are, when we work with some of the companies that support us, there are occasions where you can prosecute outside the UK, but it's really hard and generally really expensive.' The FA chief said his organisation has engaged in productive conversations with FIFA and UEFA, encouraging them to put pressure on social media companies to prevent harmful content from appearing in the first place. He added: 'But where there are occasions, make sure we can prosecute. And we do think that people who perpetrate these hate crimes should be prosecuted wherever they are in the world.'

Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse
Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse

South Wales Argus

time40 minutes ago

  • South Wales Argus

Keira Walsh wants more protection for players from online abuse

Carter announced she would be stepping away from the platforms for the remainder of the tournament ahead of England's dramatic 2-1 semi-final comeback against Italy to set up Sunday's final showdown with Spain. Walsh came off social media after the 2019 World Cup, when reading negative comments contributed to the midfielder genuinely entertaining the thought of quitting football. Jess Carter has distanced herself from social media (Nick Potts/PA) 'I think it's just a personal preference,' said Walsh, who did return to the networks, but has – bar a single post – been inactive on X since 2020. Lately, her Instagram account has solely been comprised of tagged posts by the Lionesses, or her respective current and former clubs Chelsea and Barcelona. 'I haven't had social media for the best part of four or five months, and I feel a lot better most of the time,' said Walsh. 'I don't really know what's going on outside of camp. I think at the time, with what's going on, probably more people have come off it, but I can only speak for myself. 'I think obviously the girls are smart enough to know what they should and shouldn't be looking at, and I'm sure they'll know what is going to put them in a good headspace and what isn't. 'Do I think there's enough protection on social media? No, I don't, but I'm not going to be able to change that. That's not up to me, but I think just in general, people can be more protected on social media, and I think we can do more to stop that from happening.' England defender Lucy Bronze has warned companies that athletes can 'thrive' without their services, but the reality remains that in the women's game – where new Arsenal recruit Olivia Smith just became the first £1 million player – brand-building on social media can be a lucrative tool for players earning nowhere near their male equivalents. Carter's case has now been referred to UK police, and, in a statement released Sunday, Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham vowed his organisation will 'ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice'. Mark Bullingham has vowed to prosecute those dishing out abuse on social media (Nick Potts/PA) One feature of the Online Safety Act, which received royal assent in October 2023, places a greater onus on social media companies to protect users from illegal content. Companies can be fined up to £18 million, or 10 per cent of their global revenue, if they fail to comply with their duties, but Ofcom – which is implementing the act in a phased approach – has only been able to enforce against the Illegal Harms Codes since March 17, 2025. 'I think we would have liked it to have been stronger in some cases,' said Bullingham. 'There's a real risk that if we're not firm in how the act is implemented, it won't be as strong as we hope. 'I think now it's incumbent on Ofcom to make sure they really do bring those responsible for running social media platforms to account and I haven't seen huge progress in the last couple of years. We would like to see it now.' Foreign social media companies operating within the UK are still beholden to the act, but prosecuting individuals living outside the country responsible for abusive content – which is not uncommon – remains a huge hinderance to justice. Bullingham added: 'If you look at the prosecution, obviously we can only work with the UK police, generally. There are, when we work with some of the companies that support us, there are occasions where you can prosecute outside the UK, but it's really hard and generally really expensive.' The FA chief said his organisation has engaged in productive conversations with FIFA and UEFA, encouraging them to put pressure on social media companies to prevent harmful content from appearing in the first place. He added: 'But where there are occasions, make sure we can prosecute. And we do think that people who perpetrate these hate crimes should be prosecuted wherever they are in the world.'

Politics and protests: What to expect from Donald Trump's Scotland visit
Politics and protests: What to expect from Donald Trump's Scotland visit

ITV News

timean hour ago

  • ITV News

Politics and protests: What to expect from Donald Trump's Scotland visit

Donald Trump will arrive in Scotland later on Friday, on his first visit to the UK since his re-election. The US president will be met by both political leaders and protests during the visit, which is expected to last five days, and will see him inaugurate a new golf course in Aberdeenshire. The trip comes two months before the King is due to welcome Trump for a formal state visit to the UK. The Trump administration continues to deal with turmoil on the home front, as the president struggles to salvage his reputation with voters amid reports around his friendship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. But Trump's visit to his ancestral home will hardly provide an escape from controversy. The visit has faced criticism from both political opponents and local residents, and will see a significant police operation across Scotland. Why is Trump visiting Scotland? Trump is expected to visit his Turnberry golf resort, as well as his course at Menie in Aberdeenshire. His trip also comes as a new golf course is about to debut on August 13, which the Trump family business has billed "the greatest 36 holes in golf." Trump is dedicating the new course to his Scottish-born mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who grew up on the Isle of Lewis. But Trump's existing Aberdeenshire course has been mired in controversy in recent years, after it struggled to turn a profit, and was found by Scottish conservation authorities to have partially destroyed nearby sand dunes. Trump's company was also ordered to cover the Scottish government's legal costs after the course unsuccessfully sued over the construction of a nearby wind farm, arguing in part that it damaged golfers' views. Critics also argue the trip - which is expected to cost tens of thousands of dollars - is a blatant example of Trump blending his presidential duties with promoting his family's business interests. The White House has brushed off questions about potential conflicts of interest, arguing that Trump's business success before he entered politics was key to his appeal with voters. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers called his visit "a working trip", but added that Trump has "built the best and most beautiful world-class golf courses anywhere in the world, which is why they continue to be used for prestigious tournaments and by the most elite players in the sport." Who will Trump meet during his visit? The president will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his stay, when the pair are expected to discuss the UK-US trade deal. Trump said the meeting would likely take place at one of his properties. He will also meet with Scottish First Minister John Swinney. The SNP leader previously said he would take the opportunity to raise various issues with the president, including tariffs, Gaza, and Ukraine. Speaking ahead of his arrival, Swinney said the global attention the visit will receive provides the opportunity to promote Scotland's tourism sector and economic investment potential, as well as to allow people to respectfully demonstrate the principles of freedom and justice. "Scotland shares a strong friendship with the United States that goes back centuries," he said ahead of the visit. "The partnership remains steadfast through economic, cultural and ancestral links - including, of course, with the president himself." The first minister said Scotland is a "proud democratic nation" that "stands firm on the principles of equality and freedom for all, and a society that stands up for a fair and just world." Swinney has been vocally critical of the US president in the past, and openly endorsed Trump's political opponent Kamala Harris before last year's election - a move branded an "insult" by a spokesperson for Trump's Scottish businesses. John Swinney has argued that it is "in Scotland's interest" for him to meet the president, and for the visit to go ahead. But some Scots disagree, and a major police operation is being mounted during the visit in anticipation of protests. Thousands of officers are expected to be deployed by Police Scotland, who will deal with planned mass protests around Trump's golf courses and major Scottish cities. Trade unions, disability rights activists, climate justice campaigners, Palestinian and Ukrainian solidarity groups and American diaspora organisations are among those holding demonstrations in protest of the visit. The Stop Trump Scotland group has encouraged demonstrators to come to Aberdeen and 'show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.' A spokesperson for the organisation said: "The people of Scotland don't want to roll out a welcome mat for Donald Trump, whose government is accelerating the spread of climate breakdown around the world." They also said that people in Scotland "simply wanted to live in peace near what is now [Trump's] vanity project golf course", and have "experienced Trump's abusive and high-handed behaviour first-hand, long before he entered the White House." Protests are planned in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dumfries. During Trump's visit to Scotland in 2018, similar gatherings drew thousands of protestors.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store