16 Mar 2009

Rape complaints were not classified as crimes by UK Police

The Metropolitan police failed to investigate scores of rape allegations because officers did not record them as criminal offences, the Guardian has learned.

An internal review by Scotland Yard found that women who complained to police that they feared they may have been raped or suffered a serious sexual assault had their concerns dismissed in up to six London boroughs. In a breach of police policy, officers instead classed the incidents as crime related incidents [CRI], meaning the cases were not investigated properly, informed sources say.

Several women who believe they were victims of the black cab rapist John Worboys, suffered this fate, with their complaints not being classed as crimes. Worboys was convicted by a jury on Friday of 19 charges of drugging and sexually assaulting 12 of the women, in one case raping his victim.

The practice of dismissing women's fears of rape and failing to class them as crimes is believed to have continued for several years and was ended last year. The review that identified the practice was triggered by the Worboys case.

The Guardian

Taxi rapist had hundreds of victims, detectives fear - Scotsman.com