To think that this is wrong: mapping and publication of ongoing sexual assault investigations

[Whatafustercluck]

I live in a small cul de sac, 11 houses.

A couple of months ago, the police were called to a neighbour's house regarding a domestic incident involving a husband and wife. Nothing of the incident was heard by anyone, but another neighbour has a relative who attended the incident and word got out that it was a domestic.

Another neighbour/ friend of ours has just shared a link to local crime stats which I believe are identifying. On our small cul de sac, there is a marker for September (so, after the original incident which was July/ August) for violent and sexual assault which is 'under investigation'. It doesn't give the house number but it's not hard to know, given the history of police attendance, which house this refers to.

My obvious first thoughts/ concerns are for the poor woman who lives there and has had her privacy shattered - probably unknowingly - via a crime stats relating to an offence which is under investigation. But my overriding concern is that this identifying publication of data is happening to women on a much bigger scale, presumably, all over the UK.

Aibu that this is identifying and probably goes against GDPR laws around the sharing of personal data, in particular in relation to an ongoing investigation, probably of domestic abuse? Wibu to bring it to the local police force's attention?

Given how hard it is to get female victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault to report incidents, I think this is absolutely appalling.

Anyone?

Tricky one -

YABU because people have a right to know what is happening in their local area. We are in the process of house buying and i am 6 months pregnant so i am sure as heck checking local crime stats.

That being said YANBU for having concern about your neighbour. I think the fact another one of your neighbours has gone looking and then shared a link to it is more concerning - seems like a bit of a shitty thing to do tbh. Surely the poor woman has enough going on without her nosey neighbours posting/sharing links to what has happened.

GDPR only pertains to personal data and a crime statistic doesn't qualify as personal data and does not obviously indicate who it is. The only reason you know is because you live on a small cul-de-sac and your neighbours are nosey!

I don't think it matters that what they thought they were publishing was "crime statistics" if what they've actually done is published sufficient information in the public domain for a vulnerable victim to be identified.

Bearing in mind the victims of sexual offences are supposed to be entitled to lifelong anonymity regardless of conviction of the perpetrator.

Separately, whoever it was that attended the incident and then shared information with their relative also breached GDPR and their professional conduct regs - that officer should be reported because providing gossip on victims of abuse is misconduct as well as repugnant. The public should be protected from that officer.

YABU because people have a right to know what is happening in their local area.

Not at the expense of other people they don't.

@user65423546256 agree to disagree

@tw1698 I agree that people have the right to know what's going on in their area and I was certainly under the impression that crime data only covered volume crime such as burglary and vehicle crime in order for house buyers to make an informed decision. Clearly sexual assault is a very personal crime, and in this case I think GDPR would have been breached because the crime data can be linked back to an individual (the victim in this case).

Also, the neighbour who shared the crime stats link knew nothing about the neighbour who had the police called (he lives around the corner on a different but linked street). He was looking at crime stats generally for the area and stumbled across the marker, so shared as much in disbelief that something so abhorrent could happen in such close proximity as anything. We were not drawn into commenting on who it involved.

The man in question has breached the victims legal right to anonymity by sharing information that can identify her as a victim of crime.

@Whatafustercluck completely understand your PoV. Sexual assault is in the same 'crime' category as violence. I would be extremely concerned if there was say 6 cases on SA or violence in one small area and i certainly wouldn't want to buy a house there.

In most cases these stats do not link anyone as a victim.

Say if you were the person who lived round the corner - how would you feel if you found out you were oblivious to SA crime that was happening just streets from you?

I understand that yes the victim in this case has been identified, but only by her neighbours. The phrase love thy neighbour springs to mind - i would hope my neighbours would understand the situation, keep it confidential and be there for support if required.

[quote Whatafustercluck]@tw1698 I agree that people have the right to know what's going on in their area and I was certainly under the impression that crime data only covered volume crime such as burglary and vehicle crime in order for house buyers to make an informed decision. Clearly sexual assault is a very personal crime, and in this case I think GDPR would have been breached because the crime data can be linked back to an individual (the victim in this case).

Also, the neighbour who shared the crime stats link knew nothing about the neighbour who had the police called (he lives around the corner on a different but linked street). He was looking at crime stats generally for the area and stumbled across the marker, so shared as much in disbelief that something so abhorrent could happen in such close proximity as anything. We were not drawn into commenting on who it involved.[/quote]
Personally I would much rather have accurate stats on sexual crimes which is an extremely violent crime than any other crime before purchasing a home

*Leaannb the reality though is that the majority of sexual crime is committed by perpetrators known to the victim, often as part of a domestic abuse scenario. Stranger on stranger sexual crime in any neighbourhood is rare. So sexual crime stats in the situation I've described risks inadvertently revealing a vulnerable woman's identity.

Sorry meant to @Leaannb above.

You don't know that that particular neighbour is the one in question, you're just assuming that they are. This is why vigilantes often target the wrong people. Maybe one of your other neighbours reported an historic offence, you just don't know.

It doesn't mean its her and it doesn't mean that the police attended. Did you notice the police attending the house more recently? Whoever it was may have reported the crime in person at the police station.

If it's the standard police crime map it is not violent and sexual assault. It is violence AND sexual offences.
It is a bunch of different offences under one umbrella

And/or
Not just and

Maps aren't a problem.
but another neighbour has a relative who attended the incident and word got out that it was a domestic. THIS is the problem

for violent and sexual assault which is 'under investigation'. It doesn't give the house number but it's not hard to know, given the history of police attendance, which house this refers to

Yabu to assume. There could be all sorts going on behind closed doors on your cul-de-sac.

Please don't lob all of the issues onto one house.

Another neighbour/ friend of ours has just shared a link to local crime stats which I believe are identifying. On our small cul de sac, there is a marker for September (so, after the original incident which was July/ August) for violent and sexual assault which is 'under investigation'. It doesn't give the house number but it's not hard to know, given the history of police attendance, which house this refers to.

The mapping has not identified anyone. YOU potentially have by linking one possible crime with another. You say yourself that the marker is for a completely different time period. You're making assumptions.