Scaremongering over the rape conviction rate
Sharp words in today’s report on rape by Baroness Stern (pictured) over the constant bandying of the claim that only 6 per cent of reported rapes lead to convictions.
This was the subject of a long analysis on Straight Statistics by Robert Whiston last September, and the Stern Review, commissioned by the Home Office and the Government Equalities Office, makes many of the same points.
While for all other crimes the conviction rate describes the percentage of all the cases brought to court that result in a conviction, the report says, rape is different. For rape, the term has come to mean the percentage of all cases recorded by the police as rape that result in a conviction of rape. This makes it impossible to compare rape with other crimes.
The actual conviction rate for rape, measured conventionally, is 58 per cent. More cases should come to court and the review backs the Government’s efforts to achieve that.
But it is very critical of the way the 6 per cent figure has come to dominate public discussion “without explanation, analysis or context”. This has been to the detriment of public understanding and is not in the interest of victims of rape, who may be discouraged from reporting the incident in the belief that there is no chance of a successful conviction, it says. “We feel that the presentation of the statistics should be looked at again and we so recommend” the review concludes.
Yesman (not verified) wrote,
Thu, 02/12/2010 - 04:26
Yes, but statistics lose any kind of factual force when they are manipulated. In any way. No matter how sad or tragic a crime is, it is wrong to misrepresent statistics or data surrounding it.
Johnson (not verified) wrote,
Tue, 28/12/2010 - 12:56
Is this right that the actual conviction rate for rape, measured conventionally, is 58 per cent. More cases should come to court and the review backs the Government’s efforts to achieve that. Dubai properties
Cristian Codera (not verified) wrote,
Wed, 09/02/2011 - 18:01
the federal government and an increasing number of states have begun to seek the forfeiture of property used in the commission of a crime, or gained through criminal activity. In a number of cases, courts have even allowed the government to seize the property of persons who were not charged with any crimes themselves. For example, in one case a restaurant was forfeited by its owners after a bartender was charged with selling drugs on the premises, despite the fact that the owners of the restaurant had no knowledge of the bartender's criminal activities.
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Anonymous (not verified) wrote,
Mon, 21/03/2011 - 01:28
Dear Ryna, Two wrongs don't make a right and the Home Office has been guilty of burying its head in the sand. For 'political' purposes it has used inaccurate numbers and this has not helped women. indeed its actions have had the effect of distracting attention away fro what is the true level of offending which, if it had been more honest, we might by now have had a better idea.
How do we know for sure, ie objectively, that most women are 'afraid to come forward' ?
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Dubai Properties (not verified) wrote,
Mon, 25/04/2011 - 06:10
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