Police face online backlash after ‘victim blaming’ tweet

POLICE have been accused of “victim blaming” after suggesting potential rape victims needed to be “looked after” on nights out.

Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police have apologised following an angry online backlash to their official social media accounts.

Tweets and a video were displayed as part of a wider campaign encouraging “friends to look after each other on a night out to prevent someone becoming vulnerable or separated from the group”.

One tweet, which included the hashtag #Nomeansno, read: “She told her mates she’d had enough. The bar staff knew he shouldn’t have served her that last shot. Her mates should have gone outside with her. Shouldn’t have left her on her own in that state. Know when to step in.”

Critics accused both organisations of “victim blaming” after claiming the posts appeared to point the finger at sex assault victims instead of the rapist.

Jo Wood, from Merseyside Rape and Sexual Abuse centre (RASA), said the group worked with the campaign but

did not support the message it gave.

“What the problem here is that it’s not actually putting the focus of blame for what actually happens on the rapist themselves,” she said.

The statement issued on behalf of Citysafe, Liverpool’s Community Safety Partnership, says: “It was not our intention to blame anyone who has been subject to sexual assault, rape or any other crime.

“The only person ever responsible for making the decision to rape is the perpetrator.

“We apologise for not making that clear in our posts on social media.”

It went on to explain that a partnership group which includes people from sexual violence support services, the council, police and local charities was consulted during the video’s development.

The storyline of the video was also tested on focus groups, the statement added, saying that no one consulted felt the campaign blamed victims “but when viewed in isolation the tweet has been perceived in that way and we are sorry for any distress caused”.