Police advice for women branded ‘derisory’

POLICE have come under fire for suggesting women should flag down a bus if they have concerns when stopped by an officer in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder.

Government ministers and Scotland Yard were accused of having a tone-deaf response to violence against women and girls after a string of suggestions over what action the public should take if they fear an officer is not acting legitimately.

Other advice – including shouting to a passer-by, running to a house, knocking on a door, or calling 999 – was also met with heavy criticism, with one MP branding it “derisory”.

Patsy Stevenson, who was arrested at a vigil for Ms Everard in the days following her murder, said the advice was “almost laughable if it wasn’t so disgusting”.

She said: “I feel like they are just clutching at straws ... in that situation you can’t just stop and hail down a bus or a taxi or something.”

Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said on Twitter: “We want to know what the Met are doing to address the deeply rooted problems with violence against women within the force. This completely derisory advice shows they’re still not taking it seriously.” Ruth Davidson, former Scottish Conservatives leader, tweeted: “This is so grim. If someone believes they are in ‘real and imminent danger’ – **from a police officer** – they’ve to flag down a bus or start chapping doors. Horrendous.”

The Met stressed the advice was given for specific, and rare, scenarios people might find themselves in.

First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, tweeted: “It’s not up to women to fix this. It’s not us who need to change. The problem is male violence, not women’s ‘failure’ to find ever more inventive ways to protect ourselves against it.”