Yet another serial rapist that the police couldn't be arsed to look for

[HerBeatitude]

Amazing, just amazing

Do the police actually know that sexual assault is technically a crime?

I think we need a Stephen Lawrence type enquiry about how the police deal with rape. This is pathetic.

Oh and note that the guy would have been anonymous under coalition proposals.

And please don't tell me I'm anti-police because I can see how badly the police handle rape/ sexual assault. It's not anti-police to want them to do their jobs properly.

I do think the police are guilty of institutional sexism. I am very angry about this actually.

seems like it came down to targets and resources.....not beause they didnt want him caught!!

Well hmmmm, 'Police in institutional sexism shocker'...

I've ceased, rather depressingly, to feel any surprise at the appalling rates of conviction of rapists, as it seems clear that the police's (and CPS') attitude is simply that of all of our major institutional structures; remind me again how many female cabinet ministers there are...

Well, we know for a fact that most rapists get away with it, simply because most women who are raped don't bother to report it, because they know the police won't bother to investigate it.

I feel really helpless about this - I've recently realised that if any of my neighbours decided to rape me (have had unpleasant incidents with a couple of them in the past), I'd just have to accept it as the likelihood of getting a conviction is almost zero and I run the risk of being prosecuted for falsely alleging rape.

I think if I wanted justice, I'd have to get it outside the law, wouldn't I? Because the law simply doesn't operate when it comes to rape.

Agree we need a Stephen Lawrence-type inquiry. Or do we have to wait for a woman to die and the police to fuck up as badly and as obviously as in the Lawrence case? I fear Warboys and Reid won't be enough...

It was a woman officer who reported Reid following a lone woman and pointed out he lived near the scene of the attacks, that he matched the description and had been accused of assault before. But her detective colleagues failed to bring him to book. Surveillance was dropped because someone was on holiday, FFS and he was dismissed as a suspect.

Edam, even if a woman dies as a result of police negligence, it will make no difference - women die all the time at the hands of men and no-one bats an eyelid.

Sadly you are right, HerB.

So do Black men - the difference with the Stephen Lawrence case is he was an obvious innocent victim (even the nastiest people couldn't say different), the police were clearly incompetent or worse and his family fought a long campaign for justice.

Looks like it will take a similar death and campaign to get any changes in police or social attitudes to rape victims.

Roger Graef's horrifying documentary 'A Question of Rape' exposed hostile police treatment of rape victims back in the early 80s. They promised things would change. And some changes were made... but the attitudes remained.