Is any woman remotely surprised that the number of rapes being reported is in free fall? I can say, hand on heart, and heavy of heart, that I would be hugely reluctant to encourage any victim of sexual violence to come forward without a long and painful discussion of the gruelling, intrusive process and the vanishingly small likelihood of a conviction. Prosecution rates stand at just 1.3 per cent.
A new study from the Office for National Statistics – the first of its kind – has revealed that 84.2 per cent of female victims did not tell police. The research suggests that there could be as many as 300,000 women who felt unable or unwilling to report the incident.
This, on top of recent figures showing rape offences had reached a record high of 63,136 in the year to September 2021. What an horrific picture this paints.
Even among those brave enough to come forward, more than 40 per cent withdrew from the prosecution before it was complete due to the trauma of being grilled about their private lives, court delays of three or more years and fears of giving evidence at a trial.
If only we could reassure women and pledge that they would be treated with respect and sympathy. Except we can’t – because their concerns are entirely valid.
They may well find themselves victim-shamed, disparaged and mocked by the officers “investigating” their case. If they dial 999 there’s no guarantee the police will come.
The culture in the Met – and there’s no reason to suggest it’s different, which anywhere else – is one of toxic misogyny. The obscene attitudes towards women and minorities beggar belief; we have no choice but to believe them because the sickening WhatsApp exchanges were made public this week by the police watchdog.
A 17-strong group of officers in a now-disbanded team based at Charing Cross in London “quipped” about raping colleagues and beating up their wives, as well as horrific racist and homophobic slurs.
“Knock a bird about and she will love you”, one officer stated. “Seriously since I did that she won’t leave me alone..Human nature. They are biologically programmed to like that s***.”
Another wrote: “Getting a woman into bed is like spreading butter. It can be done with a bit of effort using a credit card, but it’s quicker and easier just to use a knife.”
It’s impossible to dismiss the nightmarish fate of Sarah Everard at the hands of serving policeman Wayne Couzens, nicknamed “the rapist” as a one off when you learn that at Charing Cross one of the police officers was referred to as “mcrapey raperson” due to his predatory behaviour.
The perpetrators dismissed it as “banter”. Of course they did. So did the two Met Police constables sacked and later jailed for 33 months each after taking photographs of murdered sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, in a park in west London in 2020, and sharing them over messages. “Unfortunately I’m sat next to two dead birds full of stab wounds,” one typed.
Dear God. No wonder victims of violence and rape don’t report it; would any of us trust these men with vulnerable women who have endured unspeakable assaults?
The Ministry of Justice has previously ordered police to focus their investigations on suspects rather than the credibility of the victims. If that’s not a reflection of deep-rooted bias and misogyny, what is?
Change needs to happen. But until it does, I fully understand why victims would rather stay silent.
