Failed by police – the woman whose rape complaint was lost in pile of paperwork: two officers disciplined in landmark settlement: cctv footage destroyed by time blunder

December 8, 2009 | No Comments

In the first case of its kind in the UK, a woman suffering from bipolar disorder took legal action against Cambridgeshire police, alleging the force’s failure to record her rape as a crime breached her human rights. The woman discovered the mistakes made when she called the police two months after her assault, which took place in December 2005, by which time essential CCTV evidence showing the woman and her assailant had been erased. The woman accepted compensation of GBP 3,500 for the police mistakes and two officers have faced disciplinary action. The case is expected to lead to more women taking action against the police under the Human Rights Act when their rape complaints are not taken seriously, particularly those who suffer from mental health problems.

Art. 13 Effective Remedy, Art. 14 Prohibition of Discrimination, Art. 34 Victim Status, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, Mental Health, Police Law

Leave a reply

Add your comment below, or trackback from your own site. You can also subscribe to these comments via RSS.

Disclaimer

Full copyright remains with the original author of each article. Please contact our contributing editors for source information.

Browse by

Cross Reference

Search Type

Search

SHRLG Archives

Formed in May 2009, the Scottish Human Rights Law Group is a non-affiliated, independent, professional network for those engaged in legal practice and study, in academia and politics, in campaigning and in the provision of advice. It exists to raise awareness and knowledge of human rights law in Scotland, and to provide a forum for discussion of matters of interest across the field. The group organises seminars and roundtable discussions on human rights and is accredited for the purposes of CPD.