A petition demanding the suspension of police officers and staff accused of violence against women and girls during investigations was delivered to Downing Street by women’s charity Refuge.
The petition, signed by 50,000 individuals, was presented one year after a scathing review by Baroness Louise Casey revealed deep-seated issues within Britain’s most significant police force, including institutional racism, homophobia, and misogyny.
Currently, there is no requirement for police officers and staff to be suspended while facing allegations of violence against women and girls. Refuge’s interim chief executive, Abigail Ampofo, expressed shock at this lack of mandatory suspension, highlighting that a suspension would be standard procedure pending investigation in any other profession.
Ampofo emphasized the need to remove systemic issues within police forces across the country and rebuild trust in policing to protect women effectively. She questioned why policing should be exempt from standard practices such as suspension and frequent vetting in response to serious allegations.
Refuge revealed that only a quarter of officers and staff facing accusations of violence against women and girls were suspended from duty while investigations took place in the past year.
This statistic underscores the urgent need for reforms to ensure accountability and transparency within law enforcement agencies, particularly regarding gender-based violence.
