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The case of Surrey resident Oliver Mears, as reported in the national media, illustrates the huge problem with Surrey Police. Had he been found dead, his demise would not have been recorded as a Death In Custody by Chief Constable Ephgrave, who would then not have had to apologise for the massive mistakes by his force against an innocent man.
Telegraph Sat Jan 20th 2018… It prompted both police and CPS to apologise for ‘mistakes’ in the investigation into a claim of rape made against Oliver Mears, 19.
How many innocent men and women have died, as fortunately this (then) 17 year old did not, as a result of the stress caused by the incompetence or corruption of Surrey Police? And how many more are in prison?
Lord Judge says in The Times… Rapists will get away with their crimes, because police and prosecution failings have undermined public confidence in the justice system, the former head of the judiciary has warned. Juries could be deterred from convicting in future sexual assault trials because they would not have faith in evidence placed before the court, Lord Judge said. The former lord chief justice spoke out after The Times exposed how four rape trials had collapsed after crucial evidence was disclosed only at the last minute. He described the failings in all four cases as alarming and deeply troublesome.
Surrey Police has apologised for its mistakes.
But the worst thing is - by far - that police, and even critics of this disgraceful behaviour, feel that the reason it was wrong is that it failed to convict innocent men (and women) for crimes that never took place. NOT that innocent people escaped wrongful conviction. They simply cannot understand that people lie for various reasons and that many falsely accused people are victims and not perpetrators.
Example - failure to disclose photos of two people naked in bed, enjoying themselves.
Chief Constables will say that junior officers should have told victims to claim they were terrified of being killed and posed for the pictures in fear for their lives, pretending to enjoy this terrible experience. That was the “mistake”. Not failure to disclose but failure to groom victims.
Police genuinely feel everyone “must be believed”. They cannot, no matter how much Judges tell them, accept they should be fair and balanced in their investigations. They are simply incapable of doing so. They are only able to work one way; to prove guilt; to get convictions; to hit targets.
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