Last week, research from The Telegraph uncovered that under 3% of sexual offences reported in Kent result in any further charge, out of court disposal or other sanctions. This means that out of 43 forces across the country, Kent is ranked the lowest in this capacity.

Councillor Teresa Murray, Deputy Leader of the Medway Labour and Co-operative Group recently appeared on KMTV discussing this matter. You can watch the full interview here: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kmtv/video/kent-police-rank-lowest-in-the-country-for-solved-sexual-assault-cases-32538/

Teresa added that, ‘Victims need to be able to feel safe and secure in taking their cases forward. Not all victims will want to do this, however the current disparity in figures between Kent and areas like Durham, where 4 times as many reports result in a charge, reflect a need for improvement.

‘People in Kent deserve to have their cases taken as seriously as anywhere else in the country. Kent Police need to take part in urgent learning in order to improve these figures for victims in Kent and Medway.’

The Labour Party’s Candidate for Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Lola Oyewusi, said that, ‘As your PCC I’ll be the voice to the voiceless – justice delayed is justice denied. I will push for debates of these big issues to defend those who cannot push themselves, and ensure that all victims have the support they need.’