In a bid to hit crime targets, London Met officers allowed a man suspected of rape to walk free, resulting in the murder of two children.
Jean Say, 62, was accused of rape in 2008 but his alleged victim was persuaded to withdraw her complaint by officers who wanted to improve crime figures, according to a new report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Say was jailed for a minimum of 30 years in 2011 for killing his son and daughter, aged 10 and 8.
The IPCC said:
“The approach of failing to believe victims in the first instance was wholly inappropriate. The pressure to meet targets as a measure of success, rather than focussing on the outcome for the victim, resulted in the police losing sight of what policing is about — protecting the public and deterring and detecting crime.
“The findings of our investigation into the rape reported in November 2008 were also deeply disturbing. The victim was failed by the people from whom she sought help.
“There is no doubt from the evidence that the woman made an allegation of rape at Walworth police station which should have been believed and thoroughly investigated.
“This case highlights the risks of policing being driven by the wrong performance measures and targets: a classic case of hitting the target but missing the point.”
The tactic was used to improve the detection rate from 10% to 31%, and this is the 9th investigation into how the Met handles complaints of sexual violence.
Also, the BBC reports reports that officers who bungled previous rape investigations have been promoted:
Home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said three Metropolitan officers who had been facing possible dismissal over a previous bungled investigation into the serial sex offender Kirk Reid, were still with the force.
Two of them, a superintendent and a detective inspector, have been promoted.
A detective sergeant is facing disciplinary proceedings for alleged gross misconduct in connection with the allegations.
In another case, Det Con Ryan Coleman-Farrow, who was based in Southwark, was jailed for 16 months in October last year for failing to investigate rape and sexual assault claims.