DISCUSS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE POLICE IN BRITAIN ARE COMPETENT TO INVESTIGATE RAPE AND OTHER SERIOUS OFFENCES.
This essay will discuss the extent to which the police are competent to investigate rape and other serious offences. It will identify a gap between reported rapes and prosecuted rapes, with one of the causes as being due to high attrition rates. It will then show that the highest rates of attrition are during the early stages of the police investigation, and then discuss where the police have contributed to the causes of attrition.
The UK has one of the lowest conviction rates for rape in Europe (Hohl & Stanko, 2015, p.1). Rape is one of the most serious but misunderstood crimes, presenting unique challenges and difficulties, not encountered in the investigation of other crimes, including homicide (Angiolini, 2015, p.10). The 2016 annual Violence against Woman and Girls report by the Crown Prosecution Service stated that successful convictions for rape at trial stood at 57.9% (CPS, 2016). However, (Smith, 2015), suggests that just over 1000 rapists are convicted, out of an estimated average 97,000 rapes every year, (just over 1%). It is estimated that between 6-18% of rapes are reported to the police (Stern, 2010). In respect of reported rapes, since 2000, the rate of conversion from a rape being reported to the police to conviction is around 7%. (Home Office & Ministry of Justice, 2013). The number of reported rapes has risen in the last 50 years, but the
“Before the rape I felt good. My life was in order. I was getting ready to get married. Afterward everything changed. I kind of lost who I was as a person…
The New South Wale’s police system have failed to meet the needs of its society due to the misuse and misconduct of its given powers. The police have a large amount of discretion
Many individuals might wonder, what is rape culture? “Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.” Most women limit their behavior because of the existence of rape. (Marshall University)
Rape is one of the most widespread and ubiquitous violent crimes facing America, making laws regarding rape and the judicial processing of rape increasingly important. The judicial process itself deters both rape reports and rape convictions. Not only does the judicial processing or rape cases itself deter reports and convictions, but it also has a negative impact on the moral and mental well being of the victims who decide to pursue their cases.
The facts raise questions about the effectiveness of police in the society. This is more because, allegations of police misconduct rarely result in convictions. It is, therefore, vital to look at the issue and to find answers to the following questions
Another problem directly linking and contributing to the problem of the number of reported cases , is the small amount of cases that successfully prosecute the accused. In a recent report, statistics show that only 10 per cent of 7000 sexual and indecent assaults reported to the police resulted in the accused being found guilty. In another statistic, Shadow attorney-general Chris Hartcher says, “only 1 percent of offenders get a jail sentence and it puts victims off coming forward to report rape.” Through the statistics, victims can only see the law as it promoted, the unjust and the little security of a successful conviction, giving them more of a reason to not report their cases. With the little percentage of a conviction, the law shows that the situation is as it is, due to the many unattended flaws. Flaws such as the undefined meaning of consent and the laws blindness towards the experience victims have encountered. With the combination of all these factors, it is only natural that a victim does not feel the need to report their case as nothing but a more disturbing experience will be its outcome.
Veronica and I decided that one of the best criminal justice issues to research would have to be police corruption because everyone has experienced some form of police corruption in their lives. Even if they do not know it, due to the fact that they do not have the education level to understand what police corruption is. From a legal perspective police corruption has to do with the violation of law by police officers. According to some articles it claims that police corruption has to do with deviant, improper, dishonest, unethical or criminal behavior by the police officer. The research question has to do with police corruption and where it comes from, by the standing point of the community. We feel that this issue is important because, without
The case was heard at Manchester Crown Court on 8th December 2014. The defendant was convicted of handling and exchanging of indecent images, including recorded CDs with sexual acts, classified as range A, B and C with children aged between 8 and 10; being contrary to s45 and 46 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 3 years of community order, including mandatory attending to sexual problems, regulatory behaviour and alcohol misuse helper groups, and 12 months of community payback. The judge considered the defendant’s previous sentences and needs, and the level of risk of possible victims. This report explores the police powers given to examine and recollect evidence. The report will also look at the accountability mechanism of the police in order to come with a conclusion whether they should be given extra powers or should there be a higher level of accountability. It then considers the Probation Service and the difficulties that rise in fulfilling its aims as well as maintaining the public credibility. It begins by questioning how realistic the achievement of ‘public protection’ is. It follows with an analysis of the two main aims, rehabilitation and reduction of crime, as approaches directing to fully protect the public. Then proceeds to examine the argument that joining forces between the professionals involved in criminal justice and the community at risk is needed in order to a proper protection to the public.
Women, girls, men, and boys are vulnerable victims of sexual assaults every day in our country. While females experience much higher rates of sexual assaults than males. The problem that this country faces is the lack of being able to track rapist, in addition to the victims that chose not to report their assault of being raped to the police. Issues of under reporting comes from the victims with multiple reasons that hinders them from reporting these heinous criminal acts. Thus, the sad realization is that the perpetrator is usually some one that you know, that you would of never of thought that they could and would, and do sexually assault you.
This report shall examine the role of the police in the criminal justice system. For background it will detail a brief history of the development of the police then look at the later development of police powers of arrest, detention and of stop and search. Further to this it will examine the role of the police in miscarriages of justice and the effects of these miscarriages on the development of safeguards for people detained by the police. Also the measures taken to prevent further miscarriages of justice such as the development of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to decide if the evidence is there and a prosecution is likely to be successful.
Rape is an experience which shakes the foundations of the lives of the victims. For many its effect is long term, impairing their capacity for personal relationships, altering their behaviour and values and generating fear, Temkin (1986:17).
In the second part of the following essay I will be nominating one source of evidence that is present at the scene of a scenario. I will be discussing in my own words how Police should collate, handle and analyse the piece of evidence in a Criminal Investigation. In doing this I will be using relevant crime scene powers, NSWPF operational guidance and making reference to the Horswell (2004) reading.
Most people would agree that as you grow up you learn by seeing, feeling ,touching , smelling, and hearing . Albert Bandura supports this by a theory he created called the Social Learning Theory (McLeod, 2011). Social Learning Theory is a theory that explains that behavior is learned by your social environment, interactions and observations of others. With this theory I would say it supports opinion in which I would say that rape is not something somebody just decides one day to do. I believe that rape is learned throughout time. There are many social and even media factors that sometimes may come off with the intention that rape is acceptable. In some media factors they may even perceive that being forcibly raped is pleasurable. Movies tend to do it often and sometimes movies don 't realize that what people see on television can sometimes influence people to see these acts as a norm. For instance the fact that a college kid is in a frat and he 's in a party there is a good percentage that he would reenact what television had stereotype frats boys to do. Television would label the frat boys as potential rapist and the human mind would consider that when you take on that role as a frat boy. One of the biggest media factors all the way from television to the internet that for so many years that perceive rape as acceptable is pornography.
Most people think that rape is about sex but it is not. If rape was about getting sex the person would just go and have sex with someone who wants to give it to them. Paying for sex is better than going out and raping someone. Rape is also called sexual assault. Rape is about having power and control over someone. Rape is defined as one person forcing another person, without his or her consent and using violence or threatening violence, to have intercourse or other forms of sexual activity. Usually when people hear about rape they think of a man raping a woman, but rape can happen to anyone. It is one of the worst things that can happen to someone. Some people think that rape is
Webster’s Dictionary describes rape as the crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse. Rape is a crime in which most women cannot defend themselves. The fear of rape plagues every woman at some point or another in her life. The traumatic effects of rape vary from mild to severe, from psychological to physical. This paper will evaluate rape, as well as the effects it has on women, the theory behind male dominance and patriarchy, and differences in demographics.