Scotland Yard Under Fire After Releasing More Than A Dozen Rapists With Mere Warning

Scotland Yard has come under fire after new figures were announced to the public detailing the release of more than a dozen rapists and other sex offenders, with nothing more than a warning in their wake. This new information has resulted in campaigners demanding the situation be reviewed in full, in order for the victims to receive true justice.

The alarming numbers were obtained by the London Evening Standard, who published them earlier Friday, October 13. A total of 183,043 “warnings” were handed out by Scotland Yard between 2012 and 2017, with over 1,000 revolving around sexual offenses. Sixteen of these individuals had been accused of rape.

The issue has since been addressed by both police and the Crown Prosecution Service, who described it as “rare” that such heinous offenses would not result in harsher outcomes, but admitted that it is not entirely unheard of. In some cases, extenuating circumstances regarding the history of the person being accused can lead to some sort of deal being made.

Violent offenses on the whole, including serious crimes other than rape, have jumped 25 percent over the past five years. In 2010, The Mirror revealed that the majority of those individuals posted on Scotland Yard’s most wanted list were accused of rape, murder, thievery, and fraud.

As such, Rape Crisis head Dianne Whitfeld is part of the campaign advocating for the matter to be further investigated, as she believes that the issuing of the majority of these warnings is “wholly inappropriate.” By allowing these criminals to get away with their actions by merely slapping them on the wrist, she continues, there is no true understanding on their part regarding the severity of their choices.

Appeal to ID 2 men after a 17-yr-old girl was sexually assaulted 3 times on her way home after a night out. Call 101/tweet @MetCC with info pic.twitter.com/x4usAYehgR

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) October 13, 2017

The number of reported rapes in England’s capital is indeed alarming. Only today it was announced by The Guardian that a 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted three times within an hour, in the city’s east end. Many of these attacks happen in broad daylight and even in public places, like tube stations, making women fearful to travel outside their homes more than is necessary. Not even remaining indoors can assuredly keep them safe, however; in recent months, there have been multiple cases of break-ins that led to rape and often extreme violence.

[Featured Image by Matt Dunham/AP Images]