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| Keir Starmer to launch inquiry into fall in reports of rape and domestic violence | Keir Starmer to launch inquiry into fall in reports of rape and domestic violence |
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| The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, is to launch an inquiry into why police forces are reporting fewer cases of rape, domestic violence and child abuse than they were two years ago. | The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, is to launch an inquiry into why police forces are reporting fewer cases of rape, domestic violence and child abuse than they were two years ago. |
| Speaking as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which he heads, revealed record conviction rates for rape and domestic violence for the second year running, Starmer dismissed the suggestion that crime rates were falling. | Speaking as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which he heads, revealed record conviction rates for rape and domestic violence for the second year running, Starmer dismissed the suggestion that crime rates were falling. |
| "I think there are more domestic violence cases out there than are reported to the police," he said, adding: "I would be slow to accept that the incident rate in this kind of crime has gone down." | "I think there are more domestic violence cases out there than are reported to the police," he said, adding: "I would be slow to accept that the incident rate in this kind of crime has gone down." |
| Starmer has called a meeting with police chiefs in September to discuss whether the police are doing enough to bring cases to court. "We need to start delving down into this issue," he said. "This is the beginning of the inquiry rather than the end of it." | Starmer has called a meeting with police chiefs in September to discuss whether the police are doing enough to bring cases to court. "We need to start delving down into this issue," he said. "This is the beginning of the inquiry rather than the end of it." |
| In May the family of Maria Stubbings, who was murdered in 2008 by her former partner who had a history of violence, urged the home secretary to launch a public inquiry into the response of the police and other state agencies to victims of domestic abuse. They launched an online petition which has so far garnered more than 11,000 signatures. | |
| Starmer, who stands down in October, stopped short of calling for a public inquiry but said it was important for the entire criminal justice system to understand what was happening in order to improve. | |
| He aims to find out whether there are differences across police forces and whether "there is a correlation between the fall in numbers and approach taken". | |
| The number of incidents of domestic violence referred to the CPS by police in the year to the end of March fell by 7,000, leading to a total of 70,702 prosecutions, while 1,400 fewer rapes were reported, leading to 3,692 prosecutions. | The number of incidents of domestic violence referred to the CPS by police in the year to the end of March fell by 7,000, leading to a total of 70,702 prosecutions, while 1,400 fewer rapes were reported, leading to 3,692 prosecutions. |
| In a year in which historic child abuse has come to light such as that perpetrated by Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall, 2,200 fewer cases alleging child abuse were referred, resulting in 6,301 prosecutions. | In a year in which historic child abuse has come to light such as that perpetrated by Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall, 2,200 fewer cases alleging child abuse were referred, resulting in 6,301 prosecutions. |
| Instead of being welcomed as a sign of falling crime, these figures raises alarm bells that some forces are failing to gather enough evidence in the crucial first hour of a crime report. Evidence from Refuge suggests that one in four women are victims of domestic violence while two women are killed as a result of it every week. The Stern review on rape reporting suggested that only 11% of rapes come to the attention of the police. | Instead of being welcomed as a sign of falling crime, these figures raises alarm bells that some forces are failing to gather enough evidence in the crucial first hour of a crime report. Evidence from Refuge suggests that one in four women are victims of domestic violence while two women are killed as a result of it every week. The Stern review on rape reporting suggested that only 11% of rapes come to the attention of the police. |
| During his time in office, Starmer has insisted that traditional attitudes towards victims of domestic violence and rape need to change. Victims such as those in the Rochdale case, in which young girls were groomed by far older men and used for sex, as well as in historic cases such as Savile, were at the time believed to lack "credibility" and therefore criminals went unpunished. | |
| Convictions for domestic violence rose to 74% of prosecutions in the year to March – not far behind the average for other violent crime and up from 60% in 2005-6. At the same time the rape conviction rate was 63.2%, up from 62.5% last year. Ten years ago rape conviction rates were not recorded by the CPS. | |
| Polly Neate, the chief executive of Women's Aid, said: "We welcome the increase in conviction rates for domestic and sexual violence in the past twelve months and believe these figures reflect the dedication from the very top of the CPS in addressing violence against women and girls. However, we need consistency in every police force area, and work needs to happen in every force to support the CPS in prosecuting these crimes." | Polly Neate, the chief executive of Women's Aid, said: "We welcome the increase in conviction rates for domestic and sexual violence in the past twelve months and believe these figures reflect the dedication from the very top of the CPS in addressing violence against women and girls. However, we need consistency in every police force area, and work needs to happen in every force to support the CPS in prosecuting these crimes." |
| She added that Starmer, a former human rights barrister, had been a "powerful force for change over the past five years" but "we still have a long way to go and there is still much to do to increase reporting, prosecution, and conviction of domestic and sexual violence, as violence against women and children is so widespread". | She added that Starmer, a former human rights barrister, had been a "powerful force for change over the past five years" but "we still have a long way to go and there is still much to do to increase reporting, prosecution, and conviction of domestic and sexual violence, as violence against women and children is so widespread". |
| Professor Liz Kelly, the co-chair of the End Violence against Women coalition, said: "I hugely appreciate what has been done at the CPS under his watch compared to what was done previously. | Professor Liz Kelly, the co-chair of the End Violence against Women coalition, said: "I hugely appreciate what has been done at the CPS under his watch compared to what was done previously. |
| "It isn't just that the numbers keep going up but it's the only government department with a really coherent strategy on violence against women. | "It isn't just that the numbers keep going up but it's the only government department with a really coherent strategy on violence against women. |
| "I feel quite anxious about what is going to happen on this issue without him." | "I feel quite anxious about what is going to happen on this issue without him." |
| With a successor expected to be announced by the attorney general in the coming weeks, Starmer sought to assure campaigners that the CPS would continue to focus on violence against women and girls. | With a successor expected to be announced by the attorney general in the coming weeks, Starmer sought to assure campaigners that the CPS would continue to focus on violence against women and girls. |
| "Under my tenure we have worked hard to built it into to our governance arrangements so it's in the top 10 indicators that we track. It's so much part and parcel of the way the CPS does its business that it's not just one DPP." | "Under my tenure we have worked hard to built it into to our governance arrangements so it's in the top 10 indicators that we track. It's so much part and parcel of the way the CPS does its business that it's not just one DPP." |
| Before he leaves, he hopes to have published guidelines on the way the police and prosecutors handle cases of child abuse. "There's a fighting chance of getting that done in the autumn," he said. | Before he leaves, he hopes to have published guidelines on the way the police and prosecutors handle cases of child abuse. "There's a fighting chance of getting that done in the autumn," he said. |
| Asked if the conviction rates for sexual crime could ever match that of other crimes he said there was "no reason why not" but that it would take a co-ordinated effort. | Asked if the conviction rates for sexual crime could ever match that of other crimes he said there was "no reason why not" but that it would take a co-ordinated effort. |
| Starmer said the CPS also has to work with the courts and juries. "When it comes to myths and stereotypes police and prosecutors won't allow them to cloud their approach and then they can reappear when the case gets to court." | Starmer said the CPS also has to work with the courts and juries. "When it comes to myths and stereotypes police and prosecutors won't allow them to cloud their approach and then they can reappear when the case gets to court." |