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Domestic Violence: Theresa May Says Police To Be Investigated
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Mrs May, wowing them in the aisles, at this years Police Federation annual conference....again !
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Mrs May, wowing them in the aisles, at this years Police Federation annual conference....again !
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Good for her! She's underlining what the police should be doing not telling them how to do their job! It's called accountabili
17:08 Tue 17th May 2016
Alas the police and the CPS have a very difficult job when dealing with DV and I hope those advising Mrs May ensure she is well acquainted with those difficulties.
In some of the work I do I encounter some DV victims and before the police and CPS are condemned it is worth understanding some of the problems they face. It’s always easy to bandy statistics about but one very telling feature is that DV victims have suffered an average of more than 20 attacks before they seek help from the police. Then they frequently insist that “I don’t want to see him in court. I just want him warned”. (Yes I know that around 15% of DV victims are male, but I’ll keep it one way round for simplicity). They then want to withdraw statements or “don’t want to press charges”. (Have a look in “Law” and see the “How can I withdraw my statement against my O/H?” questions).
If the CPS do prosecute they face an uphill struggle to get the victim (very often the only witness) to court. Witness summonses are often used (rarely necessary in any other type of prosecution). I’ve lost count of the number of victim witnesses brought to court who “cannot remember” having their lights punched out on Saturday night just a few weeks earlier despite having made a detailled statement soon after the event.
DV is a huge problem for the police and CPS. The police often get called to an address they have been to many times before knowing that by the time they get there the incident will be over and that “I don’t want to take it further” will be the response they face. Mrs May should tread carefully before she draws the conclusion that the police are letting down the victims of DV. Very often it is the victims who let the police down by failing to properly support prosecutions against their attackers.
In some of the work I do I encounter some DV victims and before the police and CPS are condemned it is worth understanding some of the problems they face. It’s always easy to bandy statistics about but one very telling feature is that DV victims have suffered an average of more than 20 attacks before they seek help from the police. Then they frequently insist that “I don’t want to see him in court. I just want him warned”. (Yes I know that around 15% of DV victims are male, but I’ll keep it one way round for simplicity). They then want to withdraw statements or “don’t want to press charges”. (Have a look in “Law” and see the “How can I withdraw my statement against my O/H?” questions).
If the CPS do prosecute they face an uphill struggle to get the victim (very often the only witness) to court. Witness summonses are often used (rarely necessary in any other type of prosecution). I’ve lost count of the number of victim witnesses brought to court who “cannot remember” having their lights punched out on Saturday night just a few weeks earlier despite having made a detailled statement soon after the event.
DV is a huge problem for the police and CPS. The police often get called to an address they have been to many times before knowing that by the time they get there the incident will be over and that “I don’t want to take it further” will be the response they face. Mrs May should tread carefully before she draws the conclusion that the police are letting down the victims of DV. Very often it is the victims who let the police down by failing to properly support prosecutions against their attackers.
NJ > Mrs May should tread carefully before she draws the conclusion that the police are letting down the victims of DV.
I'm sure that her advisors are well up to the task and can corroborate their evidence which has led to Mrs May's comments.
You are right about the investigation of DA cases in that they can be notoriously difficult. I also have had plenty of experience in this field. I spent a whole day supporting, taking statements and arranging target hardening support for a devasted women only to find that somehow she had made up with her partner overnight.
I lost count of how many times I was left exasperated. There were numerous hiccups especially where joint tenancies occurred and the local housing association solved the problem at a stroke by arranging a lock change which I am sure you will know is illegal. Some cases were more about support i.e move to a refuge rather than obtaining injunctions against perpetrators.
I'm sure that her advisors are well up to the task and can corroborate their evidence which has led to Mrs May's comments.
You are right about the investigation of DA cases in that they can be notoriously difficult. I also have had plenty of experience in this field. I spent a whole day supporting, taking statements and arranging target hardening support for a devasted women only to find that somehow she had made up with her partner overnight.
I lost count of how many times I was left exasperated. There were numerous hiccups especially where joint tenancies occurred and the local housing association solved the problem at a stroke by arranging a lock change which I am sure you will know is illegal. Some cases were more about support i.e move to a refuge rather than obtaining injunctions against perpetrators.
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