PCs suspended over photos of murder scene

[Lettera]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53185177

Men. They never disappoint.

I'm concerned by the lack of media coverage. Two women murdered in a public park (before it was dark I believe) by a stranger and hardly any coverage?

I wondered if there was some sort of embargo on saying more. Normally the Evening Standard at least would be all over this story not least because it’s so unusual. I don’t know why there would be a media ban though

The Mail has a lot of detail on this horrific, tragic story:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8460725/Two-police-officers-arrested-inappropriate-pictures-taken-bodies-two-sisters.html

Nothing on the officers being male or female, but their story does say this about the suspect:

"A stranger, now confirmed to be male, killed the half sisters in a vicious knife attack sometime after 1am."

This is grim. The officers deserve to be sacked. What possessed them to share such images?

It's horrendous , why would they ever think do this?!

I'm concerned by the lack of media coverage. Two women murdered in a public park (before it was dark I believe) by a stranger and hardly any coverage?

It's rare so you'd would think much more coverage. I mean the murderer is still out there

Looks like general lack of interest then

It's weird because there isn't much news at the moment

Dawn Butler MP, whose constituency borders the park where the women were found, told Channel 44*: 'It is so disturbing that it is just unthinkable. To take a selfie with two dead women and then to share that with a forum on a Whatsapp group it makes you wonder just whats going on and what these officers have been up to previously

Yes. What have they been up to previously?!

Absolutely horrendous. They have to be named, shamed and sent to prison. Those lovely women, snuffed out by a monster and then degraded even in death by those trusted to seek justice. Their poor families.

I don't understand. Would the police usually go looking for two women late home from a party?
And if you were worried before calling the police wouldn't you go and look where you last saw them?

It's a horrible crime. Awful for the family, and everyone at the party.

Yes the article doesn't mention the sex of the officers concerned. But that makes me assume that the sex of the perpetrators is Male. Because, you know, I am now very suspicious of the press.

For some reason these days the media are so reluctant to name the problem.

If the officers were female, the news would have been about 'female police officers'.

The lack of media coverage might racist, due to the women being black, or because the Met wants to suppress the information about the photos taken of two dead women, and then distributed on a personal WA group.

Someone who stabs 2 strangers to death is very likely to do it again if not caught.

I'm prepared to bet a squillion pounds that the police officers were male.

As to whether race had anything to do with it, probably. But since I'm sure we can all agree that the sex of the victims is relevent here, the question isn't "would they have done this if the victim was a white male" but "would they have done this if the victim was a white woman". I don't know. Probably, but I also expect there would have been more general uproar and media coverage of it. I expect the general lack of media interest is due to race as well as sex. A black man or a white woman and it might have got more attention. Black women don't seem to exist for a lot of people - intersectionality in action (in its true meaning). Theres a lipstick Alley thread atm about how a lot of black women feel they might as well be a separate race to black men given how differently they feel their lives are valued. Either way this case is absolutely horrific and I hope the police officers, no matter their sex (again, if they aren't male I'll die of shock) are at least sacked and preferably prosecuted.

Oh shut up. That's not the most important fact here

It is hiwever a very important fact.

And whatever one thinks of the overwhelming likelihood, until it is known as fact it is wrong to present it as such.

It is a horrible thing for these officers to have done, it's hit headline news (which tends to show rareness) and is leading to immediate and apparently severe disciplinary action (shows that it is not tolerated)

The lack of interest could be due to race but I still find it odd simply because the killer was a stranger & is still on the loose. That's quite a hook for the press.

The 'white woman' factor in press reporting of and whole society response to crimes is well known GrabtharsHammer and I think you make good points in your post

The lack of interest could be due to race but I still find it odd simply because the killer was a stranger & is still on the loose. That's quite a hook for the press

Agree - Londoners are doing most of their socialising in open spaces. The 'stay together' message may not be adequate if there is a multiple/simultaneous attacker.

My heart goes out to these women and their families. How two women can be murdered so viciously in the midst of BLM and it go so underreported is very disturbing to me.
The added trauma of the way these despicable officers behaved makes me indeed very concerned about what is regarded as ‘normal’ behaviour for them???

From the Mail article: "Detectives said the suspect received a significant injury or injuries during the attack and is thought to have left the park via the Valley Drive entrance."

How would they know about the injury? I can only guess that the suspect must have left a trail of blood, and therefore that DNA analysis has enabled them to identify him as male.

Yes I've been meeting with friends in the park for an evening drink.

I know the Reading attacks had more coverage but the coverage did seem to stop quite quickly terrorist attacks tend to dominate the press for a few days.

Oh, I hadn't read to the end of the article. It goes on to mention the blood loss. Sorry.

Urghh it's revolting. Using these poor woman as porn or violence fetish objects.

As I recall it, a man was improsoned for 6 weeks after unzipping a body bag and photographing a Grenville victim. I think the charge was sending offending or obscene pictures over the telecoms system.

I hope that as well as being sacked these individuals are charged and imprisoned.

I find it odd. On the one hand police can be so overexposed that they can lose sensitivity as a defence mechanism, but at the same time they are also so exposed to families and consequences that they shouldn't, IYSWIM.

Baffling.

It sounds like the sisters did some damage before they died. Good for them. Poor women.

My heart goes out to these women and their families. How two women can be murdered so viciously in the midst of BLM and it go so underreported is very disturbing to me.

I agree. It's frankly bizarre.

As I recall it, a man was improsoned for 6 weeks after unzipping a body bag and photographing a Grenville victim. I think the charge was sending offending or obscene pictures over the telecoms system.

Yes, linked upthread.