By Charlotte Webster-
Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, used the Labour Party Conference on Tuesday in a key note speech to unveil the Labour party’s plan to revolutionize the approach to tackling sexual violence and serious crime.
She said her party would use tactics normally reserved for organized crimes and terrorists.
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The new programme, will require police to identify, monitor and target the most dangerous and prolific perpetrators of violence against women and girls.
The Labour party says it is designed to ensure that the most dangerous repeat offenders can’t evade justice as a result of failings in policing and the criminal justice system, putting lives and safety at risk at a time when charge rates for rape are a woeful (1.6%), and as record numbers of victims are dropping out of the criminal justice system, including 36,000 rape victims in the last year alone.
The Labour party collectively holds the view that repeat perpetrators of VAWG too often get away with their crimes, even when violence is escalating, because the policing and criminal justice response to these offences focuses on individual incidents rather than looking at patterns of perpetrator behaviour, the likelihood of re-offending and how to proactively protect women from harm.
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Its new approach seeks to require police forces to use data and intelligence on named suspects of rape, stalking and domestic abuse to devise a matrix of the most dangerous perpetrators in their area – identifying, monitoring and targeting the most prolific perpetrators of Violence Against Women and Girls to prevent re-offending and protect women from harm.
Asserting her strong stance on rape and domestic violence, she said: “Know this: if you abuse and hurt women, under a Labour government the police will be after you”.
The next Labour government, she said, would put rape investigation units in every force, domestic abuse experts in every 999 call centre and would require police forces to use tactics normally reserved for terrorist investigations.
She told the conference hall that she was “sick and tired” of women who faced abuse and violence “being failed”, generation after generation.
Her strong sentiments, which surely went down well with all women in the country, was an expression of frustration in the relatively low levels of rape convictions of late in the UK.
Ensuring convictions for rape in the courts has been a tall order in many occasions, especially with the high legal burden of proof required.
Under a future Labour government, police forces will be equipped with counter-terror style tactics to apprehend the most dangerous repeat abusers and rapists, creating a safer environment for women across the country.
Whether what she means that under a Labour government, known rapists will be apprehended on future occasions where the evidence is not strong enough to convict, was not clear.
The boldest aspect of the plan – the adaptation of tactics typically reserved for organized crime and terrorism investigations in going after rapists is attractive to women.
Cooper asserted, “We will require police forces to use tactics normally reserved for organized crime or terrorist investigations.” These tactics will focus on identifying and pursuing the most dangerous repeat abusers and rapists to remove them from the streets.
The reference to tactics used for organised crime and terrorists to some suggests will adopt a radical unorthodox practices to detain high suspects of rape with a dangerous past, where there is no independent evidence to support an allegation.
Legal Hurdles
Legal issues could pose a major hurdle, unless Ms Cooper believes her party can adjust laws to accommodate the tough stance she plans to take.
Current principles of law do not automatically assume that a repeat offender is guilty of each allegation made subsequent to the last offence.
However, the Labour government proposals seeks to give the victim of such abusers the benefit of the doubt where there is no independent evidence to support her allegations.
Some critics of this perspective have said that altering the law to implement the new proposals will mean blocking any chances of rehabilitation for dangerous criminals, but victims believe accuses should be given the benefit of the doubt when assessing allegations from women.
Rape Investigation Units
The Labour Party said its vision entails the establishment of rape investigation units in every police force and the introduction of domestic abuse experts in every 999 call center. These measures aim to ensure a swift and effective response to incidents involving violence against women.
Her message was clear: those who abuse and harm women will face relentless pursuit by the police, ensuring that everyone has the right to live without fear.
In addition to these significant changes, Cooper addressed the need to rebuild public confidence in British policing. She highlighted the importance of reversing the decline in prosecutions, recruiting more detectives to solve complex crimes like fraud, and implementing reforms to address racism within the police forces.
The Labour Party said it is proposing new vetting and misconduct rules to maintain high standards among officers. Cooper assured the public that officers who bring shame to the uniform or misuse their position will be swiftly held accountable.
At the same time, those who dedicate themselves to keeping society safe will receive support under the plan.
In order to honor the bravery and sacrifices of police officers, firefighters, and emergency service workers, Cooper announced plans to introduce a bravery medal for those who lose their lives in the line of duty.
She insisted that the initiative aims to express gratitude and recognition for their commitment to public safety.
The Labour Party’s commitment extends beyond combating sexual violence. They intend to introduce legislation aimed at tackling an “epidemic of shoplifting and violence against shop workers.”
This includes the introduction of ‘Respect Orders’ to prohibit repeat offenders from town centers, ending the controversial £200 threshold for retail theft, and restoring neighborhood policing.
Welcomed Proposals
The Federation of Independent Retailers and the retail trade union Usdaw welcomed these proposals.
Muntazir Dipoti, the national president of the Federation of Independent Retailers, lauded the Labour Party’s commitment to protecting retail workers and addressing shop crime.
Paddy Lillis, general secretary of Usdaw, emphasized that shoplifting is not a victimless crime and expressed the need for the government to take effective measures against retail crime, as it has broad consensus across the industry.
In her resounding speech, Yvette Cooper demonstrated that a Labour government is poised to bring about substantial changes in law enforcement, prioritizing the safety and protection of women and vulnerable communities while simultaneously addressing issues like shop crime and violence against shop workers.
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