Don’t tell us to flag down buses – vet your police officers properly

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In rejecting my call for violence against women and girls to be recognised as a “serious crime” in the new Police, Crimes, Sentencing and Courts Bill, the minister Kit Malthouse, on Radio 4 this morning and also in the commons chamber just a few weeks ago, suggested that it should be up to local councils to decide how important ending violence against women and girls is. The government should not be passing the buck and saying it’s up to cash-strapped local councils or police forces to decide whether violence against women and girls is a systemic problem that needs addressing. Rebuilding trust in the police isn’t just about ensuring women and girls feel safe when interacting with officers on the streets, as important as that is. There can be no trust in the criminal justice system when, as the latest Victims’ Commissioner’s annual report stated, rape prosecution rates are so low that “what we are witnessing is the decriminalisation of rape”.