A worrying paradox occurs when those whose duty it is to safeguard victims of abuse can be the same individuals responsible for these crimes within their homes. The issue of domestic violence takes an even more concerning dimension when the abusers are law enforcement officers, whoare able to exploit their authority to avoid accountability and deny justice to their victims. Despite its significance in the UK, the reality is that this issue remains largely unspoken about, leaving people unaware of abuse of power within this institution and the systematic failure to hold perpetratorsaccountable. By drawing focus to this problem, the structural flaws that allow abusers to thrive within the system meant to protect victims are exposed, allowing for reform and justice.
The True Extent of the Problem
Official figures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) reveal an alarming truth: between 2021-2022, there were 1,177 recorded cases of police violence against women, involving both fellow officers and members of the public. Within this figure, 444 investigations related to domestic abuse, however, the charging rate for these investigations were incredibly low- between 9-11%.
Yet there remains a lack of more recent data on police-perpetrated violence due to official organisations decisions to withhold such information, further hindering the public’s true understanding of the true extent of these crimes.
Nevertheless, it is evident from existing research that here is a prevalence of domestic violence within law enforcement institutions globally. Neidig et al. (1992) found that domestic abuse was committed at a substantially higher rate amongst the police population than among the civilian or even military population. 40% of officers questioned reported to at least one episode of physical aggression towards their spouse and some admitting ‘severe’ violence, such as choking, using a knife or gun, or brutally beating up their spouse.
Despite these disturbing statistics, another issue is the ‘dark figure’ of undocumented cases of police-perpetrated abuse. The true rate of these crimes will remain unknown as a severe gap between those reported and committed exists. As Feltgen (1996) stated, victims become traumatised by the same system that failed to protect them that they do not report and ‘become tragically lost in a system that fails to even record them as a statistic.’ As victims must face a reality where they must report their abuse to perpetrators or their colleagues, their trust in law enforcement is further eroded and this silence perpetuates the cycle of abuse.
Abuse of Power
There is a position of authority and element of public trust in these rolesthat can be abused and manipulated to protect perpetrators from accountability. This can manifest in many ways within the institution, allowing perpetrators to evade repercussion for their actions and potentially allow them to inflict greater harm on their victims.
A significant way officers can abuse their power is through retaliation by using their authority to arrest or silence victims who report their abuse. This disturbing reality is evident through the case of a pregnant woman who reported her partner to his own station, only to be arrested on counter-allegations of harassment. This case escalated further when she was accused of contacting her attacker when she called 101 when she gave birth. Cases such as this emphasise how victims cannot seek help due to their partner’s authority, leaving them utterly silent.
Victims may also be faced with the ‘blue wall of silence’, an unspoken code that prioritises loyalty over accountability between officers. This practice protects abusers from liability, as their colleagues will refuse to document crimes against colleagues, creating a barrier for victims seeking justice. A study published in 2022 found an estimated only 12% of crimes relating to domestic abuse would be officially reported if it was committed by a fellow officer. This complicity enables a culture where abuse remains unchecked,and victims are marginalised.
Systematic Failures
The prominence of domestic violence within law enforcement cannot only be attributed to individual wrongdoing but is also a result of entrenched systematic failures.
There appears to be a trend where officers accused of domestic abuse are rewarded with promotion, rather than facing accountability. The Centre for Women’s Justice reported that several officers with multiple abuse allegations have received promotions to roles relating to policing rape and abuse. On the other hand, female officers that have reported against their spouses have been placed on ‘compassionate leave’ or feel pressured to leave the force. This reveals a double standard within law enforcement, where the system rewards abusers and victims are shunned.
There is an insufficient oversight of conduct within law enforcement where often investigations into allegations within the agencies are handled internally, enabling biased outcomes. The lack of independence when reviewing misconduct allows for perpetrators to thrive within the force, evident with officers such as David Carrick working in the Met during his 17 years of committing 85 serious offences against women. With the law enforcement’s failure to police itself, the public’s trust in police protection against such perpetrators is undermined. The failure of law enforcement to police itself erodes the public’s trust in the ability to safeguard against such perpetrators, turning a system meant to safeguard society into one that continues to harm those it is supposed to protect.
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