Justice served

In recent years the determination of police to secure sexual violence convictions, sometimes in the face of evidence of innocence, has led to poor decisions, ruined lives and injustice. It is welcome that Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, is adopting a more common-sense approach.

The police began a period of soul-searching in 2011 after the failure to investigate accusations directed at the former BBC host Jimmy Savile, who was revealed after his death to have been a paedophile. Under fire for failing to follow up on allegations, the Met and other police forces introduced a policy that officers were always to “believe the victim”.

The pendulum has now swung the other way. Ms Dick has told The Times that she has directed her officers to “start with a completely open mind” when investigating sex crimes, explaining that she has “rethought” the policy of automatic belief. When victims come forward, “we should treat them with dignity and respect and we should listen to them”, she says. “We should record what they say. From that moment on we are investigators.”

This is the right approach. Conscientious investigators do not belittle complainants nor suggest they bear the blame for crimes committed against them. They do not ignore complainants or treat them with scorn or suspicion. They do, however, ask probing questions, seek corroboration, and attempt to collect evidence that gives a reliable guide to events. Too often police and prosecutors chase convictions for their own sake, without stopping to ask whether the courts have all they need to make an objective determination of guilt. That needs to stop.