Published date:
The Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime has today expressed concern about the nature of debate around the Police Ombudsman’s assurance that her office will believe victims of police officers who abuse their position for sexual purposes.
She said:
“I am concerned that recent debate has mischaracterised and misunderstood the concept of believing a victim in the first instance when they report abuse.
“The practice of stating that we will believe victims when they first come forward to report sexual abuse exists because there is a researched and documented history of victims of sexual abuse being dismissed, minimised or disbelieved outright. This has resulted in serious allegations not being properly investigated in the past. The legacy of those failures continues to affect confidence in our criminal justice institutions today, leaving many victims feeling unable or unwilling to come forward and report what has happened to them.
“When the person accused of abuse is someone in a position of authority, power or trust, such as a police officer, that barrier can be even greater.
“It is therefore important to be clear about what "believing a victim in the first instance" actually means. It means taking a report seriously. It means believing a person enough to listen to them, treat them with dignity and respect, and to instigate and carry out a full, rigorous and impartial investigation into the allegations they have raised.
“At no point does it mean abandoning impartiality or investigating with bias. And it has never meant making assumptions about guilt before the evidence has been gathered and tested.
“I have concerns that there is a double standard at play in some of the criticism we have heard. If a person reports that their home has been burgled, nobody suggests it is controversial for an investigator to believe that report sufficiently to begin an investigation. Nor does anyone suggest that taking the report seriously somehow compromises the impartiality of the investigation that follows. The same principle applies when allegations of abuse are reported.
“Once someone has come forward, expectation management is of course essential. A trauma informed response helps ensure that they understand the process ahead, including what can be expected at each stage of the investigation. Every allegation must be investigated robustly, thoroughly and impartially. Evidence must be gathered and tested fairly. The rights of complainants and those accused must both be respected throughout the process.
“Supporting victims to come forward and ensuring impartial investigations are not competing principles. They are both essential requirements of a fair and effective justice system. We should be able to reassure victims that they will be believed enough in the first instance that their complaints will be investigated thoroughly and that such investigations will be independent, impartial and grounded in evidence at all times.
I am encouraged by the Police Ombudsman's commitment to carry out robust, independent and impartial investigations, with all evidence gathered and tested fairly before any findings or recommendations are referred to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) and/or the PSNI for their respective decisions and outcomes. In this way, the highest standards of independence, fairness and due process can be maintained for everyone involved.”