Targets hitting rape jail figures
LABOUR’S blind pursuit of targets is responsible for an alltime low in the rate of rape convictions, a police study has concluded.
Too many doubtful cases a r e brought to court because of an obsession with meeting Home Office-inspired expectations.
This has led to the figure of just 5.6 per cent of allegations leading to a conviction.
Scotland Yard is now seeking the scrapping of some targets and says that officers are being put under too much pressure to bring cases to court. A review by the Yard concludes that in certain cases when it is impossible to prove who is telling the truth or if the victim does not wish to co- operate, no charges should be brought when it is ‘not in the public interest to prosecute’.
Better training for police officers is also recommended, as is further investigation into the links between drinking and subsequent rape claims. The study was ordered by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair after he expressed fears that too many attackers were escaping justice.
It was carried out by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick and included detailed analysis of rape allegations made in London over a two-month period this year.
Although Mr Paddick’s report is not officially released until today, a draft of the executive summary says police should concentrate on bringing strong cases to court instead of trying to prosecute as many as possible. It says that some allegations are so complex that they are not suitable to be tried in court.
In those cases, says Mr Paddick, the police should not be officially ‘ blamed’ for failing to proceed with the case. His summary says: ‘ The Metropolitan Police Service operates in an environment where success is measured against MPs’ and Home Office targets for detections and crime reduction.
‘ The complexities of rape allegations . . . can lead to an investigation falling short of a prosecution.
‘ Under the current performance regime this can be seen as a failure.
‘To this extent, performance-driven targets fail to take into account victims’ needs and whether police action meets those needs.’
He suggested that policing would be more effective if the force was in a position to be a little more selective with the cases it pursued to prosecution.
In February, Home Office figures showed the conviction rate in rape cases had fallen to an all-time low. Nearly 12,000 rapes are reported each year but the proportion of allegations leading to convictions has fallen from 25 per cent to 5.6 per cent.
Police sources have passed some blame on to the Crown Prosecution Service, which takes the final decision on whether to pursue a prosecution, for bringing too many doubtful cases because of pressure not to appear ‘soft’ on rape.