Girls’s security in Greater Manchester Police custody beneath evaluate

Aug 11, 2023 at 11:20 AM

An impartial inquiry into the expertise of ladies and ladies who’re taken into police custody in Greater Manchester has been commissioned following a Sky News investigation.

The inquiry could have a selected concentrate on using strip searches and intimate searches and removing and substitute of clothes.

It will even assess the care given to feminine detainees in addition to how successfully complaints are dealt with after their launch and if there may be any inequality between the remedy of women and men.

The announcement of an inquiry follows a Sky News investigation during which a girl alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted whereas being held in custody by Greater Manchester Police.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and deputy mayor Kate Green have commissioned the inquiry.

It might be led by Dame Vera Baird KC – a barrister and former Labour MP who served as victims’ commissioner for England and Wales from 2019 to 2022.

In a press release, Ms Green stated: “The mayor and I were both concerned when we saw recent reports in the media.

Who is Dame Vera Baird?

The professional chosen to guide the inquiry into the expertise of ladies and ladies taken into police custody in Greater Manchester is a former barrister and MP awarded a dameood for companies to girls and equality.

Dame Vera Baird MP additionally served as victims’ commissioner for England and Wales from 2019 to 2022.

She started her profession as a barrister, representing girls in quite a few excessive profile circumstances, in addition to miners accused of picketing offences through the 1984-85 miners’ strike.

Dame Vera represented the North Yorkshire seat of Redcar as a Labour MP from 2001 to 2010, serving because the solicitor basic for 3 years from 2007.

After leaving parliament, she served as police and crime commissioner for Northumbria from 2012 to 2017 after which because the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales.

She acquired a damehood within the 2017 New Year’s Honours for companies to girls and equality.

“When issues like these present themselves, we will face them head on and leave no stone unturned to establish what happened and what must be learnt.

“The security of ladies and ladies is a big precedence for the mayor and me. We have made no secret of that earlier than and it stays as necessary as ever.

“That is why we’ve acted rapidly so we are able to make sure that girls and ladies believe that they are going to be handled with dignity by Greater Manchester Police in the event that they report a criminal offense, or are taken into custody, and that actions of employees are applicable.

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“Ultimately, women and girls must have confidence in their police force, particularly when reporting crime, and we want the Baird Inquiry to help enhance this.”

Dame Vera Baird KC added: “I will look not only at the events in the media but collect experiences and information widely in order to answer whether women’s rights, their safety and their dignity are being appropriately honoured and protected by this force.”

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Recommendations might be made by Dame Vera inside the report to assist information the long run apply of GMP across the rights, security, care and dignity of ladies and ladies reporting crime, on arrest and of their custody.

Dame Vera will report on to the deputy mayor in relation to progress and outcomes.

A report of the findings is predicted to be produced in Autumn 2023 and might be revealed in full.