THE chief constable of West Yorkshire Police has suggested media reporting and the criminal justice system are to blame for widespread reluctance among rape victims to come forward.

John Robins has robustly defended the Force’s record on tackling violence against women, following national reports that fewer than one in six female sexual assault victims tell police about the offence. 

Mr Robins said every officer in the country would be “disheartened” by the figure, but added that false “assumptions” on how alleged victims would be treated were a problem.

The number of so-called “positive outcomes” for rape victims recorded by West Yorkshire Police between April and December last year was less than 10 per cent, despite a sharp increase from the year before. That figure was branded “disgustingly low” by a local councillor.

The issue was discussed at a regional Police and Crime Panel meeting on Friday, alongside the response to the death of Sarah Everard in London earlier this month.

Mr Robins urged victims to come forward and report their experience.

Asked about the one in six figures, he said: “Of course there’s clearly more to be done and every police officer across the country is disheartened when they see a report like that. 

“But I’m absolutely confident that the behaviour, treatment, the support and welfare and care of sexual violence victims by West Yorkshire Police is second to none in the country. 

“I’m concerned many of those (news) reports are based on people with no previous experience of reporting things to the police and based on a perception caused by the media and dareisay some assumptions that they (victims) don’t want to report it because of the treatment of police officers.

“Maybe they don’t want to report it because they’ve seen in the media the low detection rate within the criminal justice system.”

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Mr Robins said that around half of sex assault cases put forward by the police for charges, which are the duty of Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and beyond the police’s remit, were rejected. 

He added: “Yes, there’s more to be done, but not all of that sits within policing and it’s disheartening to see senior figures across the country making assumptions about how people will be treated by the police. 

“(If you are a victim) Please report to us. Please come to us.” 

But Bradford councillor Richard Dunbar said: “I don’t think anyone on this panel can proclaim to be happy about a 9.3 per cent positive outcomes rate for rape cases. It’s a disgustingly low level. 

“I think it indicates an endemic problem with the system. If it was effective that number would be higher.”

Coun Dunbar said the fact a serving Metropolitan Police officer had been charged in connection with Ms Everard’s death was “going to have a knock on effect on people’s confidence in reporting to the police”. 

He added: “I acknowledge all the good work that’s been done, but what more are we doing to give confidence to women and victims of rape to come forward and report?

“Whether it’s the media or not, it’s a problem.”

In response, Mr Robbins said he wanted police to regain responsibility for charging suspects from the CPS.

He added: “There has been throughout all of my policing career, and there continues to be, a challenge around confidence in reporting to the police.

“I’m of the opinion the confidence issue is in the wider system because a lot of the media reporting is around the criminal justice system and the presentation of evidence in court.

“In the past people wouldn’t come forward because they didn’t think a rape allegation would be taken seriously enough. I absolutely don’t think that’s the case now as much as it was. 

“We’re adamant we’ll do all we can because we have a role to play, but it’s a wider issue across the criminal justice system.”