THE States police are starting to see ‘green shoots’ as they tackle perpetrators of violence against women and girls, following five successful rape convictions this year.
This comes after there were no convictions for rape in 2021 and 2022.
Of all offences categorised as ‘violence against women and girls’, which have been reported from 2018 onwards, the biggest category is assault, accounting for 48% of crimes.
Detective Superintendent Alison Fossey added that 12% of reported VAWG crime in Jersey was sexual, compared to 10% in the UK.
A police action plan and extra training are among the measures that have been introduced to improve conviction rates, according to Det Supt Fossey.
VAWG crimes account for between 20% and 24% of all recorded crime in Jersey, with the number of reports rising between 2018 and 2022.
Det Supt Fossey said: ‘That’s a good thing, because that shows trust and confidence in the police and shows that women and girls are wanting to report these crimes to the police.’
Measures taken, she said, aimed to shift the focus from the victim to the perpetrator, which the States police say has allowed them to put together better case files and create a more supportive environment for victims.
These steps include allowing victims to give their account in a place of their choice and using a video recording, as well as heavy government investment into the Sexual Assault Referral Centre and independent sexual violence advisers, as well as creating a booklet to guide victims through the process.
Jersey Women’s Refuge’s new safe house, which has increased capacity, now allows for people to stay longer and for women to bring their teenage sons.
Det Supt Fossey said: ‘It is a really difficult process and time for any victim and you can’t pretend otherwise. The criminal justice system won’t be an easy experience for them. But we can do all that we can to help them.’
She added: ‘We are obliged to present the whole case to the lawsuits for a decision, we can’t cherry pick but, at the same time, we still want to do our very best for the victims in the case.’
She said: ‘We think we’re starting to see some green shoots now, because we’ve had four successful rape convictions this year. And we’re hopeful that some of the hard work we’re putting in behind the scenes is beginning to pay off.’
David Moody (60) has subsequently been convicted of three rapes, bringing the total number of convictions to five.
Police officers are also responding to a survey run by Bournemouth University about their own experiences of sexual misconduct within the force, the results of which should help ‘address what we can to change the culture within the force,’ Det Supt Fossey said.
Training sessions run by psychotherapist Zoe Lodrick have been organised to help police officers and support service staff to better understand victims’ reactions.
For example, a victim who said that they were reluctant to accompany their perpetrator somewhere might present on CCTV as ‘walking hand in hand, smiling and laughing’, according to Mrs Lodrick.
But Mrs Lodrick explained: ‘What we’re seeing is a woman who’s very frightened, and who’s being obedient and compliant in order to try and minimise the chance of being harmed.’
