Women’s Aid responds to police recruitment with links to domestic abuse

Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women’s Aid, said: 

“It is appalling that men with a known history of domestic abuse and sex offence have been allowed to become police officers. There has been an increasing spotlight on this issue in light of the murder of Sarah Everard, the horrendous abuses performed by David Carrick, and the recent Casey review which highlighted the shocking state of the Met police. It is inexcusable that vetting procedures are still failing society.

“Women have lost trust in the police. Every day, Women’s Aid services hear from domestic abuse survivors who have been let down time and again by those meant to protect them – women who are not believed, women whose pain is underplayed, women whose lives are treated as less.

“How many more women must be hurt and killed before this issue is taken seriously? The police force must urgently introduce robust processes to ensure that predatory officers are not allowed to join the force, so that women and children get the support they deserve.”