Police watchdog finds safeguarding failings for sex abuse victims from ethnic minority groups
Kris Jepson reports
A 'super complaint' made by a Teesside women's support organisation revealed thousands of sex abuse victims are being let down by officers.
Recommendations are now being made to all police forces following the complaint.
The Tees Valley Inclusion Project raised concerns about the way police handle sexual offence inquiries when the victim is from an ethnic minority.
It prompted a national report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, which heard testimony from some of those affected.
The report found victims of sexual abuse who are at risk of honour-based abuse are not always properly safeguarded by the police and receive an inconsistent service from different forces.
It also found some officers lack cultural knowledge and awareness of honour based abuse.
Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke, said: "Reporting sexual abuse is difficult enough for victims, and it is unacceptable those at risk of honour-based abuse are not properly safeguarded when they are courageous enough to report these crimes.
"Our report shows that some police forces simply do not have the awareness andunderstanding to properly identify and manage the risk of honour-based abuse.
"We found victims are receiving an inconsistent service from police, and our findings werecompounded by patchy data recording of ethnicity.
"It is clear real change is needed. If acted on, our recommendations will go a longway in helping to improve the service these victims receive."
The report said police forces need to work more with communities to ensure an understanding of cultural differences, which can help them when investigating offences.
It also recommended they consistently record ethnicity when investigating crimes and that police and crime commissioners should represent all community views when commissioning victims' services.
Yasmin Khan from the Halo Project in Middlesbrough helped draw up the super complaint. She welcomed the report, but said more needs to be done.
She said: "Through this complaint, we’ve been helping to support victims for six or seven years who have actually said to me, some of them, that the abuse that they’ve experienced was horrific, that the way that they’ve been treated by the police has exacerbated their abuse and their trauma, and they’re living with that for the rest of their lives.
"It’s not a very good message for victims who want to come forward."
Evidence for the report was gathered during field work in six forces, including Cleveland Police.
Police crime and commissioner Steve Turner said the report was a "timely reminder" of the importance about the importance of ensuring all victims of sexual violence receive support from police, while rightly recognising the additional cultural barriers ethnic minority victims may face.
He said: “My team will now digest the report and continue to work with colleagues in Cleveland Police to identify ways to improve the service offered to victims of sexual violence, especially those at risk of honour-based abuse."
"In the last year, we have committed £57,000 to services who work most closely with victims in our ethnic minority communities, to either support them directly or raise awareness of the help available to them."
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