A worrying story in the Telegraph today.
A suspected rapist is out on the run. Police are trying to track him down. They decide that a televised appeal would most likely yield useful results.
However, before they can go ahead with the appeal, the local Racial Equality Council (REC) advise them that because the suspect is Afghan, the appeal could lead to a racist backlash.
So in the world of the REC, the whole of the UK will take to the streets with machetes and hack down every foreign-looking man, if this appeal is shown?
So the police reluctantly back down, the suspect is still on the run, and the Racial Equality Council are satisfied with themselves for a job well done.
What strange times we live in. Never mind the risk to public safety. That obviously is as nothing, when compared to the danger of perceived racism.
July 18th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Are the police obligated to take the REC’s advice? If not, what are they doing? If so, can any future victims of this rapist sue the REC. I hope so.
July 18th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Bel: I am concerned that the Telegraph headline states ” TV appeal over Afghan rapist cancelled”, only to discover that in the first paragraph he is not a rapist but instead an alleged rapist. This aside, it does appear to be absurd to play the race card. Especially, given that his photo is in the Telegraph article and I cannot see the difference between it appearing here and yet cannot be used in a television appeal. It is not clear whether the three other women who have come forward are the same ones mentioned twice or whether we are talking about seven alleged victims. In any event, I am amazed that he was given bail in the first place.
July 18th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Jailhouse, I agree. I was rather surprised by the headline in the Telegraph. As you can see, I chose not to follow them down that path.
PT, before today, I was not even aware of a body called the REC. This article relates to the Devon REC. Perhaps every locality has one.
Two things I would like to know:
1) how useful is this body in the first place?
2) like you, I would like to know whether the police, and any other authority, are bound to follow their advice. I would suspect not, but who knows? In the instant case, the police were inclined to ignore the REC’s advice, but were overruled by their chief constable.
July 18th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Bel: I did note that you did not engage in the headline grabbing business.
July 18th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Ethnicity/religion is not the question here. As you say, the question is about public safety. Madness.
July 18th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Who are the ‘Racial Equality Council’ and what do they do that isn’t covered by the Commission for Racial Equality?
July 18th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Ross, apparently they are funded by the CRE.
Do we really need them?
July 19th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Boy, the CRE are on a roll lately. First Tintin, now this.
Are there no people in this country that suffer from REAL racism that the CRE could focus their time and resources on?
If not, it’s time for this drain on my taxes to go.
July 19th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
There’s something not quite right about the logic here. If they were indeed worried about a racial back-lash then surely they would want this man apprehended as fast as possible and by any means possible. After all, who would attack a foreigner one he was back in custody? Whereas his being at large fuels suspicion.
They don’t seem very concerned for the safety of British women either, who will continue to be at risk.
This smells of simple looking after their own with a dash of contempt for the safety of women.
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