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The Terrorism of Rape and Racist Assault By Black Women’s Rape Action Project and Women Against Rape Following the shooting of Mr. De Menezes an innocent Brazilian by anti-terrorist officers, police chief Sir Ian Blair called a public debate on policing. Now Tony Blair has announced drastic immediate measures against “anti-social behaviour” of hooligans, truants and their parents. But the most common, violent and terrifying behaviour – rape, domestic violence, racist attacks – are not a priority for either Blair. Two decades ago, in response to women’s complaints about how few rapists were prosecuted, police blamed women for not reporting. Women campaigned for the most common attackers, those known to the victim, to be prosecuted – the boyfriend, stepfather, colleague, neighbour, husband. As a result, the numbers of women reporting rape have steadily increased. But the conviction rate keeps falling.
Conviction rates: rape 5.3% The public has leapt ahead. Two-thirds of people don’t blame victims for rape. But there are grave problems with the investigation and prosecution of sexual violence. The police have responded to criticism with special measures. 1985: When WAR published its survey on rape, they introduced rape suites and special training. Recorded rapes: 1,842. Conviction rate: 24%. 1986: All reported rape except false allegations to be registered as crimes, rather than as “no-crimes”. Recorded rapes: 2,288. Conviction rate: 18%. 1999: A slight decrease in no-criming is offset by increased police pressure on victims to “withdraw”. Recorded rapes: 7,809. Conviction rate: 8%. 2000: Special rape teams. First Sexual Assault Referral Centre. Recorded rapes: 7,929. Conviction rate: 7%. 2002: Rape Action Plan, including kits to take immediate mouth and urine samples. Recorded rapes: 11,766. Conviction rate: 5.6%. 2003: Recorded rapes: 11,867. Conviction rate of recorded rapes fell to 5.3%, and of domestic assaults to 5%. Why? Last month, a 15-year-old raped immediately reported to the police who would not provide a woman doctor. She went home and valuable evidence was nearly lost. Most victims, already weakened by trauma and physical injuries, are put off by such disrespect. After two years of domestic violence, which included rape at knifepoint, a woman said to us: “The police decided I was a mad Black woman.” The prosecuting authority (CPS) refused to prosecute, claiming the victim was unreliable! In 1995 we helped two women bring the first private prosecution for rape in England and Wales. Unlike most rape trials, the prosecutor believed the victims, and challenged attempts by the defence to discredit them – both had been attacked while working as prostitutes. The rapist got 11 years on the evidence the CPS had rejected, presuming the jury would be as prejudiced as they are. We’ve experienced CPS carelessness and incompetence, little interest in working for a conviction, pointing to the victim’s weaknesses to dismiss rather than build her case, allowing the prejudicial defence tactics to go unchallenged. Rape and domestic violence are often referred to as uniquely difficult to prosecute: one person’s word against another, no witnesses, sometimes no forensic evidence. Yet racist attacks brought to us, where both assailant and injuries are obvious, suffer similar biased policing. Only 7% of recorded racially aggravated attacks reach conviction. Only 7%of recorded racially aggravated attacks reach convictionA Muslim mother reported a broken nose and cheekbone from a white male neighbour’s punches, in the presence of witnesses. The police never asked her what happened and they handcuffed her Black partner. As with Stephen Lawrence (knifed to death by racists), they assumed the victims were suspects. Although her attacker had shouted “f…ing n…r!” police had not recorded a racially aggravated assault. This treatment of racist assault is not uncommon. A Black pensioner was informed by police her assault by white people was “not a priority”. Two women a week are murdered by partners/ex-partners. Yet resources are diverted from sex offenders to terror suspects and “anti-social behaviour”. We help hundreds of women fight for justice each year. Defeating the terrorism of rape, domestic violence and racist assault needs no summary powers and no guns. |