Officers ‘prioritised paedophile’s hurt feelings’
Force using gender-free ID criticised by commissioner for telling people not to misgender trans convict
THE police force that warned social media users against making “hateful” comments towards a convicted, transgender paedophile is at the forefront of “woke” policies such as genderneutral warrant cards.
Sussex Police scrapped warrant cards that identified male officers with the letters A or C and female officers with B or D in November last year.
The scrapping of the cards prompted complaints that it would make it harder to find a female officer to carry out duties only a woman could do, such as searching a female suspect.
The force was also subject to ridicule in 2017 after a sergeant warned high street stores that “feminine care” signs on women’s sanitary products breached gender equality rules.
But the row over the conviction of Sally Ann Dixon, who was a man when carrying out a series of child sex attacks, threatens to engulf the force.
Last night, the local police and crime commissioner condemned her force for “prioritising the hurt feelings” of a convicted transgender paedophile over the trauma suffered by the victims.
The controversy over Sussex Police’s handling of the case escalated after the force warned social media users not to “misgender” a sex offender who identified as a woman. Dixon, 58, from Havant, Hampshire, was jailed for 20 years for the sexual abuse of seven children between 1989 to 1996. At the time of the offences, Dixon was a man.
Sussex Police had issued a press statement headlined: “Woman convicted of historic offences against children in Sussex.” Twitter users complained that Dixon was a man when convicted, but the force replied: “Sussex Police do not tolerate any hateful comments towards their gender identity regardless of crimes committed.”
Last night, Katy Bourne, the Sussex police and crime commissioner, said she was “disappointed” that the successful prosecution of Dixon for historic offences had been “completely overshadowed by the fallout from an unnecessary and tone-deaf tweet”.
She added: “It is particularly upsetting after hearing the harrowing testimony of Dixon’s victims. Police must balance their communications so that they don’t appear to be prioritising the hurt feelings of criminals over the trauma of victims and their families.”
Ms Bourne contacted Sussex’s chief constable Jo Shiner to make it clear that police “had somewhat lost the plot” in voicing opinions that appeared to “ignore or demean the experiences of the victims in this case”.
Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, accused Sussex Police of playing “identity politics” shortly after writing to all chief constables telling them to reverse the perception they care more about “woke” issues than tackling crime.
Sussex Police withdrew its offending tweet and issued an apology. In a statement issued late on Tuesday night, the force said: “An earlier reply to a comment on Twitter was inconsistent with our usual style of engagement; we apologise for this and have removed the comment.
“We recognise the rights of the public to express themselves freely within the boundaries of the law.”
Dixon abused five girls and two boys aged between six and 15 during the seven-year period of abuse. The offender was sentenced to serve time in a female prison, having begun transitioning in 2004.
Dixon was convicted of 30 indecent assaults and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. All the offences took place in Crawley, west Sussex, and Bexhill and Icklesham in east Sussex.