Latest news with #victimscommissioner
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
London's crime epidemic is far worse than people realise
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?
BBC News
16-07-2025
- BBC News
Criminal justice: Why so many victims disengage from the system
When Karen told police she had been raped, she had hoped they would help her. Instead, she said the "absolutely horrendous experience" of reporting it caused her to drop the case. The officer assigned to her case missed a scheduled phone call, then rang her unexpectedly at work and launched into deeply personal questions about the attack. Karen said she understood why those questions were necessary, but they needed to be asked "with sensitivity and some preparation"."I think to him it was just another phone call. He didn't think of me at all."Karen, not her real name, is not alone in her experience.A new report from London's victims' commissioner found "huge numbers" were abandoning the justice process before their case reaches court. Karen was told later that the officer who had handled her case so insensitively was actually a specialist in rape and sexual abuse."I think back to why I wasn't able to say then, 'I don't want to do this like this', but I think panic sets in, and you freak out. You're thinking, 'this is my only chance'."She had previously had a poor experience when she tried to report being attacked, struggling to communicate with officers about the case. 'You don't care' After this second experience, she said she felt she simply couldn't continue with the process. There was no attempt to ask her why she wanted to drop the was there any effort to see if she needed any specific support."I think, if the officer had approached me with absolute empathy, if he had thought about my needs and arranged for a time to come a to a police station, and prepared me, and talked me through it, that would have made me feel differently."I just thought, you don't care." The researchInformation was taken about 270,000 crimes reported to the Metropolitan Police between April 2021 and March 2022More data came from CPS and Home Office figures from April 2021 to March 2025 40% (109,833) of all victims in the data set withdrew from the justice process prior to a charging decision being madeThe figure rose to 59% in domestic abuse cases, and for rape allegations associated with domestic abuse to 74%London's independent victims' commissioner, Claire Waxman, said the findings amounted to "a national failure to deliver justice for victims".She said she had commissioned the research in 2022 to fully understand why so many people were dropping out. The report found some police officers lacked a "trauma informed" approach and victims described being dissuaded from pursuing their who reported being sexually assaulted by someone they lived with, was told by an officer there had 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".This victim was put off proceeding with the case and was not offered any referral into was raped twice after returning to live with the offender. The minister for victims and violence against women and girls, Alex Davies-Jones, said the government had "inherited a courts system on its knees".She pointed to plans put forward by Sir Brian Leveson, which include having cases normally tried by a jury instead being decided by judges said ministers would respond to the proposals in the autumn. Ms Waxman praised the "good officers who go above and beyond" but said there were officers "who use victim withdrawal as an easy way of closing cases".She added that when victims are brave enough to report a crime, "they deserve respect, support, and swift access to justice".She said there was a lack of reliable data from the Metropolitan Police about people who disengaged, with one victim surprised to find their own case had been closed - and told it was because they had withdrawn from it. Some victims were let down by language barriers and poor translation were fearful their immigration status would be shared with the Home Office if they spoke to were more likely to withdraw if they were black or from other minority ethnic backgrounds, and withdrawal rates were higher if the offender is a current or ex-partner rather than a stranger. Some were fearful of retaliation, with stalking protection orders sometimes taking weeks to secure through the courts. A number of recommendations were made in the report, including improved oversight of the police of how they keep victims engaged, and recording the needs and vulnerabilities of also called on the government to provide adequate funding to support services and to establish a victim care hub, which Ms Waxman said could provide a more efficient and joined-up said, perhaps most urgently, the government must take action to clear the backlog of 77,000 cases waiting to be heard in the crown courts, with the Met identifying more than 100 cases listed for 2029. Assistant Commissioner Pippa Mills said the Metropolitan Police was increasing the number of charges for serious offences, including rape and serious sexual that inevitably meant more cases going through the court system, which is already overwhelmed."The delays are intolerable for victims waiting for closure from often traumatic experiences."There must be a collective effort from government, partners and the criminal justice system to reform and reverse years of decline."She added that the Met police was rolling out more training and has improved communication for victims. London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said the Met had improved some of its services for victims, but said there were still "big parts of the criminal justice system journey" failing.
Irish Times
31-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Tributes paid after death of former NI Civil Service chief Kenneth Bloomfield
Tributes have been paid to the former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, who has died at the age of 94. Stormont's Minister for Health Mike Nesbitt described Sir Kenneth as a 'great intellect' and 'one of our finest'. His career in public service began in the 1950s and he was cabinet secretary to the 1974 Stormont powersharing executive, and head of the NI Civil Service from 1984 to 1991. The IRA tried to kill Sir Kenneth at his home in Co Down in 1988 but his family survived the bomb attack. READ MORE Later, he took on a number of other roles including victims' commissioner and co-commissioner of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains. He was knighted in 1987. Alliance Party leader and Minister for Justice Naomi Long said: 'Sir Kenneth had a distinguished career in public service over many years and in many roles. 'He and his wife were personally targeted in the Troubles, when their home was attacked by an IRA bomb, but he did not allow it to deter him from his enduring commitment to public service. 'In the decades since his formal retirement, he continued that commitment, offering his skills and experience in the service of the community, most particularly in his work as victims' commissioner in the early days of the Assembly, a role which he notably described as being a 'painful privilege'.' Ms Long added: 'I know that he kept in touch with political developments and was especially supportive of efforts to ensure the devolved administration was put on a firm and stable footing. 'On behalf of myself and Alliance, I would wish to extend our deepest sympathies to Lady Elizabeth and the family circle on their very personal loss.' In a statement on X, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said: 'Sorry to hear of the passing of Sir Kenneth Bloomfield. 'A great intellect, public servant and one of our finest. 'Among many other things he paved the way for the setting up of the Commission for Victims and Survivors where I served before politics.' Belfast Lord Lieutenant Dame Fionnuala Jay-O'Boyle wrote: 'Ken brought dignity, gravitas and humanity to public life. 'To his wife Elizabeth, daughter and son, my sincere condolences.' A post from the Belfast office of the US consulate said: 'We offer our condolences to the family of Sir Kenneth Bloomfield KCB, a distinguished public servant who dedicated his life to others, including those injured and bereaved during NI's troubled past.' Sir Nigel Hamilton, another former head of the NI Civil Service, told the BBC he would remember Sir Kenneth as the 'most important, the pre-eminent public servant of his time and of his generation'. He added: 'From the 1960s right up to 1991 he was the leader, he was the public servant extraordinaire.'
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Prison recall shake-up will free some domestic abusers, ministers admit
Ministers have admitted that some domestic abusers and sexual abusers will be released under new plans to free up spaces in prisons in England and Wales, despite a denial from another government minister. Under emergency measures announced by the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, some criminals serving sentences of between one and four years who breach their licence conditions will be returned to custody for only a fixed 28-day period. The proposals have been condemned by two government-appointed tsars who represent victims, who claim sexual and domestic abusers will be freed to terrorise victims again. On Thursday, Emma Reynolds, the Treasury minister, contradicted the government watchdogs, telling Times Radio: 'No, it won't apply to sexual offenders and domestic abusers. It won't apply to the most dangerous criminals.' Pressed by the broadcasters on whether the early release would apply to this cohort if they were serving a sentence of one to four years, Reynolds said: 'Well, look, we need to ensure that we have a prison system that works. So I would reassure the victims commissioner and others that it would be unacceptable if people carried out domestic …' A government source appeared to contradict Reynolds, saying 'many but not all domestic abusers' would be excluded from the emergency measures. 'The recall measure excludes all offenders serving sentences over four years. It includes further exclusions for those who are considered higher risk who are managed in the community by multiple agencies. This includes many sexual offenders and domestic abusers. So many but not all are excluded. It depends on the risk they pose,' the source said. The government has not yet said how many domestic or sexual abusers will be released under the scheme. On Wednesday, Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said lives were being put in danger because of the proposed change. 'You are not sent to prison for four years if you do not pose significant risk to your victim or the wider public. Perpetrators of domestic abuse know everything about their victim … Re-releasing them back into the community after 28 days is simply unacceptable,' she said. 'What makes this worse is that ministers cannot safely exempt all perpetrators of domestic abuse from this proposal, because they do not know how many domestic abusers are serving time in prison or currently being monitored by probation.' The victims' commissioner for England and Wales, Helen Newlove, said she would be writing to Mahmood to express her concern that the 'short-term, stopgap' measures were corroding confidence in justice. 'I find it difficult to understand why this specific group of offenders has been targeted for early release and I am concerned about the implications for victim safety,' Lady Newlove said. Offenders are recalled to prison if they commit another offence or breach licence conditions, such as by missing probation appointments, when they are released early but remain on licence. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, was granted an urgent question in the Commons on the change. He said the decision was 'wildly unpopular' and 'risks the safety of the public'. He said: '[Mahmood] has refused to take the judiciary up on their offer of extra sitting court days. Instead she has decided to let out early criminals who reoffend or breach their licence. There is no punishment or deterrent for criminals who immediately reoffend or cheat the system.' Gavin Williamson, the Tory former defence secretary, asked ministers to disclose the number of domestic abuse offenders who would be eligible for the scheme. Nic Dakin, the justice minister, replied: 'I hear his question and I will write to him.' Dakin said anyone serving more than four years in prison would be excluded from the changes to prison recall, as would those guilty of terror or national security offences, and criminals with a higher level of risk management, which includes some sexual and violent offenders, including domestic abusers. Andy Slaughter, the Labour chair of the justice select committee, said the crisis was the responsibility of the previous government and called for a review of the number of prisoners on recall in the prison population. 'We have to look at the way that recall has developed. There were 100 cases over 30 years ago, to over 13,000 today – it is over 15% of the prison population,' he said.
