Tick-box police never go to court, says official report – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 12th, 2015 in case management, courts, Crown Prosecution Service, news, police, reports, victims by sally

‘Official inspection is critical of the way police and prosecutors treat vulnerable victims and witnesses.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Domestic violence victims ‘put at risk’ by erratic handling of cases – The Guardian

‘Victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable witnesses are being put at risk by the erratic handling of sensitive cases by police and prosecutors, inspectors have said.’

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The Guardian, 12th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

CPS fine sparks call for data protection rethink – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Data protection arrangements should be reviewed in the modern world of social media and cybercrime, a specialist solicitor has said, after it emerged the Crown Prosecution Service delivered unencrypted DVDs to a film studio for 12 years.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 9th November 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Crown courts in England and Wales ‘chaotic and archaic’ – BBC News

Posted November 4th, 2015 in barristers, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, news, reports, solicitors, victims, witnesses by sally

‘Victims and witnesses are often left marginalised in a court system that is “archaic” and “chaotic”, a report by the Criminal Justice Alliance has said.’

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BBC News, 4th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Criminal courts charge denied compensation to rape victim, MPs told – The Independent

‘A rape victim did not get compensation from her attacker because of the Government’s controversial new court charge, MPs have been told.’

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The Independent, 27th October 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Courts charge leaves victims waiting for justice, says former Solicitor General – The Independent

Posted October 22nd, 2015 in courts, criminal courts charge, criminal justice, delay, fees, news, recidivists, victims by sally

‘The Government’s controversial courts charge is causing major delays and leaving victims waiting for justice, a former Solicitor General has said.’

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The Independent, 21st October 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Submissions to Theresa May’s child sex abuse inquiry accidentally deleted – The Guardian

Posted October 16th, 2015 in child abuse, inquiries, internet, news, victims by sally

‘Information provided by alleged child abuse victims to the overarching inquiry set up by Theresa May has been deleted due to a blunder, it has emerged.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Victims of cyber crime should be ‘low priority’ if they fail to take security steps, says report – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 15th, 2015 in computer crime, fraud, news, police, reports, victims by sally

‘Official study backed by City of London Police suggests ‘hard decisions’ should be made if victims admit they did not follow security advice.’

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Daily Telegraph, 15th October 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Man escapes jail over celebrity blackmail plot – BBC News

Posted October 14th, 2015 in blackmail, news, sentencing, suspended sentences, victims by sally

‘A man from Merseyside has escaped a prison sentence after he tried to blackmail a celebrity by threatening to release sexually explicit photos of him with a famous woman.’

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BBC News, 13th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tom Watson letter did not lead to Leon Brittan being interviewed, says CPS – The Guardian

‘Tom Watson’s controversial letter to Britain’s top prosecutor did not lead to Leon Brittan being interviewed by police over sex abuse allegations, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.’

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The Guardian, 13th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK criticised for lack of timely provision of legal aid – Legal Voice

Posted October 12th, 2015 in criminal justice, legal aid, reports, victims, violent offenders by sally

‘A report commissioned by the International Bar Association’s (IBA) access to justice and legal aid committee has criticised the “lack of timely provision of legal aid” in the UK. The committee commissioned the Bingham Centre for Rule of Law to conduct research on International Access to Justice: Legal Aid for the Accused and Redress for the Victims of Violence which was published this week.’

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Legal Voice, 8th October 2015

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Blair asked to give evidence to Gaddafi compensation inquiry – The Guardian

Posted October 9th, 2015 in compensation, explosives, inquiries, Libya, news, terrorism, victims by sally

‘The former prime minister Tony Blair has been asked to give evidence to a parliamentary committee looking into the failure to include UK victims of IRA violence in a compensation deal with the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.’

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The Guardian, 9th Ocotber 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Francis Andrade suicide prompts CPS rape victim support pilot – BBC News

Posted October 7th, 2015 in news, pilot schemes, rape, suicide, victims, witnesses by sally

‘High-profile rape cases like that involving a violinist who took her own life after giving evidence against her abuser have prompted major changes in the way victims are treated in court.’

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BBC News, 7th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Scotland Yard’s paedophile unit: Meeting the police men and women doing the most difficult work imaginable – The Independent

‘Paul Gallagher meets the people whose job it is to identify victims, stop abuse material being shared and distributed, categorise extreme imagery ready for court and, hopefully, catch paedophiles before they find a victim ‘

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The Independent, 4th October 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Wrexham historical child abuse gang jailed – BBC News

Posted September 28th, 2015 in child abuse, news, sentencing, sexual offences, victims, Wales by sally

‘Five men guilty of being in a predatory paedophile gang in Wrexham in the 1980s have been jailed.’

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BBC News, 25th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sexual consent is simple. We should all be clear what constitutes rape – The Guardian

Posted September 28th, 2015 in consent, Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions, rape, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘A new CPS campaign focuses on cases where two adults know each other, and attempts to debunk some of the myths around sex offences.’

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The Guardian, 23rd September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Schoolgirls need protection from forced marriage, Ofsted warned – The Guardian

‘The founder of a charity that offers helplines and refuge to women escaping from forced marriages has called on Ofsted inspectors to focus on the issue when visiting schools where girls may be at risk.’

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The Guardian, 26th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police given advice on spotting domestic abuse patterns – BBC News

Posted September 21st, 2015 in domestic violence, news, police, prosecutions, victims by sally

‘Police officers will receive specialist advice on how to spot patterns of domestic abuse under new guidance.’
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BBC News, 21st September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police should visit burglary victims, crime minister says – BBC News

Posted September 16th, 2015 in budgets, burglary, consultations, drug offences, news, police, statistics, victims by sally

‘Police officers should always attend the homes of burglary victims, the crime minister has said. Mike Penning said he disagreed with comments by the head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, who said the public should not expect to see an officer after a break-in.’

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BBC News, 15th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bishop Ball sex charges caution ‘wrong’ admits CPS – BBC News

‘A retired bishop who has admitted sex offences against young men, should have faced charges 22 years ago, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has admitted. The CPS said a caution given to Peter Ball in 1993 was wrong as there was sufficient evidence to prosecute.’

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BBC News, 13th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk