Police issue apology over Worcestershire rape poster campaign

10:45am Friday 3rd August 2012 in Worcester

POLICE APOLOGY: The controversial poster (picture posed by model) POLICE APOLOGY: The controversial poster (picture posed by model)

WEST Mercia Police has apologised over a poster campaign which an anti-rape charity labelled “inappropriate”.

Det Supt Ivan Powell admitted there had been “some concerns” about the poster, which critics believe suggests women who get drunk could be to blame if they are raped.

He said: “If the campaign has caused distress, that was not our aim and I will apologise for that. This was not about blaming victims but putting information out to help.

“I would stress what we are trying to do here is put information out showing potential victims how to avoid becoming vulnerable.”

As your Worcester News reported yesterday, the Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Assault Centre were angry and said they had not been consulted over the posters displayed across the force area.

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Comments(7)

More Tea Vicar says...
11:31am Fri 3 Aug 12

The police should not have climbed down. They should have the courage of their convictions and carry on.

Not many people seem to have been 'outraged' and those who were don't have any monopoly on the right to an opinion.

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140354 says...
12:11pm Fri 3 Aug 12

Surely it is about raising awareness... If anyone is incapacitated by alcohol they become more vulmerable to all manner of crimes (whatever their sex or whatever the crime). Any campaign that hi-lights this issue is a good thing.... isn't it?

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Hwicce says...
12:19pm Fri 3 Aug 12

Does this mean people who crash a car when over the limit are no longer responsible?

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pinkfluff says...
1:27pm Fri 3 Aug 12

140354 wrote:
Surely it is about raising awareness... If anyone is incapacitated by alcohol they become more vulmerable to all manner of crimes (whatever their sex or whatever the crime). Any campaign that hi-lights this issue is a good thing.... isn't it?
Exactly....so why target women about getting home safely? Are we advising them to stay sober so they can dodge the rapists on the way home? All people should be targeted and advised to keep themselves safe regardless of age or gender.

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Hwicce says...
3:47pm Fri 3 Aug 12

People seem more interested in apportioning the blame to someone than they do in preventing the crime happening in the first place.

Any form of awareness campaign is good, if you think this one is biased towards drunk women then campaign for one for other areas as well. Don't just put on false indignation because they've touched on an area you feel sensitive about.

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EnajMells says...
5:15pm Fri 3 Aug 12

Hwicce wrote:
Does this mean people who crash a car when over the limit are no longer responsible?
No, of course they are responsible. But the rape victim in your analogy would be the drunk but responsible person taking a taxi who gets hit by the drunk driver.

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pinkfluff says...
5:55pm Fri 3 Aug 12

Hwicce wrote:
People seem more interested in apportioning the blame to someone than they do in preventing the crime happening in the first place.

Any form of awareness campaign is good, if you think this one is biased towards drunk women then campaign for one for other areas as well. Don't just put on false indignation because they've touched on an area you feel sensitive about.
False indignation?? Please elaborate, I'm interested to know how you have come to that conclusion.

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