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Police failing to protect victims of slavery, report finds

Police are failing to protect victims of slavery, according to a damning report by inspectors.

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Police are failing slavery victims

Officers showed ‘little understanding’ of the nature and scale of modern day slavery and human trafficking, according to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

According to inspectors:

  • Not all forces were committed to tackling slavery or trafficking.

  • Victims were arrested as criminals or illegal immigrants.

  • Poor information sharing by police forces and the National Crime Agency.

  • And many officers knew what powers they have to tackle these crimes.

The report found that West Midlands Police was the most prolific in identifying victims of slavery and trafficking with 99 referred for further help in 2016.

In the same period, Staffordshire referred 16, and West Mercia 20.

HM Inspector of Constabulary, Wendy Williams, who led the inspection, said: “In the UK, today and every day, thousands of men, women and children who are victims of modern slavery and human trafficking are being degraded and dehumanised. The police have a crucial role to play in protecting these people and preventing offenders from exploiting others.

“Whilst modern slavery cases can be complex and require significant manpower, many of the shortcomings in investigating these cases reflect deficiencies in basic policing practice.

“We found inconsistent, even ineffective, identification of victims and investigations closed prematurely.

“As a result, victims were being left unprotected, leaving perpetrators free to continue to exploit people as commodities.

“We did see some good work in the course of our inspection, notably in forces such as Greater Manchester Police, West Yorkshire and Cumbria, which demonstrates the results that commitment and dedication in dealing with this kind of crime can achieve.

“We also found committed individuals and teams working hard to raise the profile of this type of offence, and to protect victims who are often extremely vulnerable in multiple ways. These officers and staff should be commended.

“Since our inspection at the start of this year, forces have already begun to act to improve their service to victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.”

“When we return to re-inspect, we will report on policing’s progress against this benchmark inspection. I hope to see real and consistent improvement.”