Caller's daughter was threatened with rape but police told her 'no crime' had been committed
25 January 2023, 15:22
This father tells Shelagh Fogarty that even though his daughter was threatened with assault, they were told "no crime" was committed by the authorities.
Following on from the revelation that two to three Met cops will face court cases every week for months, an LBC caller, Steve in Guildford called Shelagh Fogarty to discuss his daughter's experience with the authorities.
Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Met, said the public needed to brace for "more painful stories" as he tackles cases that "corrupt our integrity".
Steve told Shelagh his daughter was stalked when she was 17 and because of the experience she still has "no confidence" and it's completely "changed her personality".
He shared that the perpetrators "threatened to rape her" and "threatened to cut her up".
The father was told by police officers that they "can't really do anything" as "no crime was committed".
Steve asked: "Do they have to wait for my daughter to actually be harmed before this person is taken seriously by the police?"
Shelagh, who was stalked for 2 years, responded: "There are plenty of police officers who tell women and girls when they're being stalked 'Well if he hasn't touched you there's nothing we can do.
"So yes, the answer to your question is yes, in the minds of some police officers, not the law, until you are hurt they regard it as sticks and stones."
Steve ranted: "I'm afraid the police force down where I live and the Met were completely inadequate, they had no sense of urgency, they had no sense of threat towards a young woman.
"When you look at these things that are weekly in the news...you just think there's no empathy with a woman's feelings and how it affects them for the rest of their lives."
You can listen to Shelagh Fogarty's podcast The Followers on Global Player.