A women’s rights lawyer has criticized Kent police for classifying felony sexual assault as a non-emergency crime.
Members of the public were furious after a sign posted in the window of the Kent Police Station in Maidstone read that rape and sexual assault were “non-emergency” offences.
The black-and-white A4 printout told passers-by how ‘non-emergency inquiries’ can be shared with police via an online form, listing rape and sexual assault in the same category as antisocial behaviour, fraud and traffic incidents.
Dr. Charlotte Proudman, an award-winning lawyer who specializes in violence against women and girls, said it was “no wonder” that people believe that “rape has been decriminalized” and that people no longer trust the police force. .
Anger at Kent police comes after new report from Baroness Casey claimed Met Police cannot be trusted to police themselves and may harbor many more predatory officers like Sarah’s killer Everard, Wayne Couzens, and serial rapist David Carrick.
A women’s rights lawyer has criticized Kent police for classifying felony sexual assault as a non-emergency crime. Many were furious after a sign (pictured) displayed at Kent Police’s Maidstone station said rape and sexual assault were non-emergency crimes.
Dr. Charlotte Proudman (pictured), an award-winning lawyer and women’s rights activist, said it is “no wonder” that people believe that “rape has been decriminalized” and that people no longer trust in the police force.
Dr Proudman told MailOnline: ‘If you want to know why female victims don’t trust the police and people believe rape has been decriminalised, look no further than the Kent Police poster.
“After Baroness Casey’s report was published yesterday, it is clear that the Metropolitan Police are institutionally misogynistic and failing female victims.
‘But it’s not just the Metropolitan Police, we need a review of all police forces in the country, do they breed the same culture of misogyny and are officers held to account?
‘Until there is a full police review across the country, it is unlikely that victims will have faith in the system.
The only job of the police is to protect. They have failed so badly at their job that women are told to “flag the buses” and that rape is not an “emergency investigation”, no wonder only 41 per cent of women trust the individual officers.
“It is indicative of a serious attitude towards victims of rape and sexual assault, that the police do not consider the most egregious forms of male violence committed against women as an emergency.”
Kent Police said the poster was on display at Maidstone Police Station and has since been removed.
Piety Davison, chief executive of Refuge, told MailOnline: ‘Violence against women and girls is supposed to be a strategic police priority.
“Referring to these crimes as ‘non-emergency’ is completely out of step with that and fails to recognize the serious nature of these crimes.
‘What kind of message does this send to survivors and how can we expect women to feel that they will be taken seriously?
“While Refuge supports police initiatives to make it easier for survivors to come forward and report crimes committed against them, Kent Police should not direct survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and rape to the same online form that is used to ‘compliments and complaints’ and ‘general inquiries’.
“This reflects what Refuge already knows: that violence against women is simply not prioritized and treated like the serious crime that it is.
When two women are murdered every week in England and Wales by a current or former partner, describing domestic abuse as “not an emergency” is profoundly insensitive.
A snapshot of the poster has made the rounds on social media, with one user writing a message to Kent police saying: ‘This just goes to show how bad this country is getting!
How can such a horrible and violent crime be downplayed?
‘I understand that it is difficult to prove, but doing it like this is not the way. Absolute tools.
Another chimed in: ‘Kent Police in solidarity with the Met’, following the release of a damning report describing the Met Police as ‘broken and corrupt’ from a year-long review of the organization by the Baroness Louise Casey.
The image of the poster was shared on March 15. It is unclear when the sign was first displayed, although it has since been removed by Kent Police. he.
Social media users shared images of the poster and criticized Kent Police.
“The poster in question was placed by a member of police staff on the counter at Maidstone Police Station but has since been removed and replaced with a poster clarifying our advice on how best to report crimes to us,” the officer said. spokesman.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Banks, head of protection of vulnerable people at Kent police, said the force takes the investigation of sexual assaults “extremely seriously”.
She said: ‘We urge anyone to call us on 999 if there is a crime in progress or if someone is in immediate danger. Doing so can mean the difference between arresting a suspect at the scene and, in some cases, saving a life.
“Kent Police take the investigation of domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault very seriously and we encourage victims to come forward and talk to us.
‘They can report crime anonymously and can also reach out to us through a variety of support organisations.
“All reports of rape or sexual assault, made through any channel, are reviewed by a Detective Sergeant and are ultimately overseen by a senior officer as part of a comprehensive review process intended to to guarantee justice and support for all victims”.
The anger against Kent police comes after Baroness Casey’s new bombshell report (pictured Tuesday) claimed the Met Police cannot be trusted to police themselves and can harbor many plus predatory officers like Sarah Everard’s killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick.
Anger at Kent Police comes after Baroness Casey’s new report on the Metropolitan Police.
In the most damning report in its nearly 200-year history, the force is described as institutionally racist and corrupt, as well as misogynistic and homophobic.
Baroness Casey, who spent a year examining Scotland Yard’s culture and practices, said there was a “rot” at her heart that allowed racism to go unchallenged and predatory behavior “to flourish”.
She said successive Met commissioners had “failed to ensure the integrity of its officers and organization.”
She demanded a “complete overhaul” of the £4bn service, saying anything less would be “holding on to straws”.
Baroness Casey warned that there was nothing to stop other rapists in the ranks, adding: “In the absence of vigilance towards those who try to abuse the police position, predatory and unacceptable behavior has been allowed to flourish.” There are too many places for people to hide.
Characterizing a culture of ‘blindness, arrogance and prejudice’, his report identified flaws in almost every department, which have been ignored due to a ‘culture of denial and defensiveness’.
In conclusion, Baroness Casey said that the force had lost public confidence and had become “unanchored” from the founding principles laid down by Robert Peel in 1829.
“The Met is in danger of losing its way: consent is broken,” he said. “Too often, the Met appears to be acting in its own interest rather than the interests of the public it serves.”
