PSNI policy protects criminals, says victim

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

PSNI policy protects **********, says victim

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==BBC

Liz and Catherine McSherry said the PSNI changing its policy is a welcome step

The victim of a man convicted of voyeurism has said ********** are being protected by the the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) not releasing mugshots.

Catherine McSherry welcomed the force’s plans to change its policy on custody images and said it was a “positive step”.

Unlike many police forces in the ***, the PSNI does not routinely issue mugshots of serious offenders after sentencing.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has said the PSNI will begin releasing the images “in line with the custom and practice elsewhere”.

The PSNI said the “logistics of how we do that are now being worked through”.

Catherine’s step-brother Christopher was

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

and one of unauthorised computer access.

The 35-year-old, from Portadown in County Armagh, was sentenced to 100 hours of community service, 18 months’ probation and a **** offences prevention order.

The judge said it was one of the worst cases of voyeurism seen by the court.

Catherine said victims felt “ignored and not taken seriously” when no mugshot was issued.

“I think it can be very validating for victims to have an actual mugshot taken of their perpetrator rather than just smiling photographs of them in their day-to-day life,” she said.

“I think it stops people being desensitised to the fact that this was a ****** that was committed.”

Her sister, Liz, described the lack of custody photos as “a further ********” towards victims.

“Why are the PSNI protecting the ********* more than the victim? The whole system feels to me set up to protect perpetrators and not victims,” she said.

In April, the PSNI announced it was

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

It came after families whose loved ones were ******* by ****** drivers

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Internal emails seen by BBC News NI showed

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

over the policy.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==PA Media

Mr Boutcher said logistics to facilitate publishing mugshots were being looked at

Mr Boutcher was asked for an update on the review at a recent Policing Board meeting.

He he said he had reviewed the policy.

“I have reviewed it. In short, we will be publishing photographs of people convicted of certain serious ******* where there is a policing purpose to do that,” Mr Boutcher said.

Catherine said the change was “definitely positive” and “a long time coming”.

“I think I speak for many other victims when I say that it would help massively, not just ******* ****** cases – any kind of ********* activity,” she added.

Former senior PSNI officer Jon Burrows also welcomed the move as a “positive, albeit long overdue step”.

He said he hoped the change would bring the PSNI “into line with ***-wide practice”.

“It is vital that justice is seen to be done and releasing the mugshots of those convicted of certain ******* will improve confidence in the justice system, encourage victims to come forward and send a clear message to perpetrators that actions have consequences,” he said.

“Given the epidemic of ********* against women and ******, it is really important that those convicted of such ******* are included in the release of post conviction photographs.”

In a statement a PSNI spokeswoman said that the police “will be publishing photographs of people convicted of certain serious ******* where there is a policing purpose to do that”.

She emphasised logistics were being worked through but there was “no definite timeline for this at present”.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#PSNI #policy #protects #********** #victim

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up