In response to Rt Hon Priti Patel comments today and recent revelations regarding officer David Carrick, CWJ have issued the following statement urging the government to ensure the Angiolini Inquiry proceeds on a statutory footing.
“Over a year ago, on 15 October 2021, Centre for Women’s Justice wrote to the then Home Secretary Priti Patel, urging her to institute a statutory inquiry regarding police conduct in respect of women and girls, and in particular police-perpetrated abuse of, and violence towards, women and girls.
This letter was sent in response to her announcement that there would be an inquiry following the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan police officer Wayne Couzens. We highlighted that this was an extreme but not an isolated incident. We provided a detailed outline of the numerous reports of serious criminality, abuse, or predatory behaviour perpetrated by Police officers.
One of the cases that we referred to was that of David Carrick, who had been charged with rape approximately 10 days prior to our letter being sent.
It was therefore not just disappointing but frankly a dereliction of duty that the government refused to engage properly with our representations. We were eventually forced to issue proceedings in the High Court arguing that a statutory inquiry was necessary. The then Home Secretary fought against us all the way. Our legal action, supported by myriad organisations working with and on behalf of victims as well as many members of the public failed, largely on the basis that the Home Secretary has a wide discretion as to whether or not to place an inquiry on a statutory footing and it was within her discretion not to do so on this occasion.
Today, the Rt Hon Priti Patel said to the current Home Secretary in Parliament:
“Can I urge her to consider particularly off the tragic cases that we have heard about relating to this particular Carrick incident and his victims that we start looking to put much of this on a statutory footing. If we don’t do that we are going to be here again and again and again paying tribute to victims while quite frankly parts of the law enforcement system continues to fail the British public and victims.”
Centre for Women’s Justice is pleased that Ms Patel now recognises the necessity of a statutory inquiry. We agree that without a statutory inquiry we will be here again and again and again. As such, we will shortly be writing to the present Home Secretary, Ms Suella Braverman, re-iterating the points made and urging her to immediately place the inquiry on a statutory footing. This will enable whistleblowers as well as victims to provide necessary evidence and allow the inquiry’s chair, Lady Elish to order the disclosure of evidence held by the police.
While it is disappointing that Part 1 of the inquiry has been completed without the level of scrutiny, extensive powers and range of evidence it could have had, had it been placed on a statutory footing, it is now imperative that Part 2 not fall foul of the same lack of political will to protect women and girls.
Ms Braverman claimed today that:
“Change must happen. As Home Secretary I will do everything to ensure that it does.”
At the very least, the Home Secretary needs to ensure that this is the enquiry which will finally properly investigate the issues in the round and make changes to ensure that something like this cannot happen again.”
Harriet Wistrich, director, Centre for Women’s Justice
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