Rachel and the MP for Nuneaton, Jodie Gosling, have written to the Home Office requesting a review of current police guidance on transparency with regard to suspects charged with serious offences. Their letter follows the horrific rape of a 12-year-0ld in Nuneaton.
The letter reads:
Dear Minister
Home Office guidance to the police on identifying the asylum status of individuals charged with serious crimes
We were both horrified and saddened to hear that a 12-year-old girl had been raped in Nuneaton. Our thoughts continue to remain with her and her family and friends.
This case has highlighted serious issues with current police guidance regarding the identifying of the asylum status of those who have been charged with serious crimes. In cases such as this, a lack of official public confirmation does not prevent online speculation, and it is inevitable that members of the public will go in search of the truth or potentially jump to the wrong conclusion.
The inevitable consequence of that information vacuum is that local politicians and members of the public online go on to claim that a decision not to disclose the asylum status of individuals charged by the police is evidence of a conspiracy by the police and the government to conceal the truth from the public.
We live in an era where information – whether rumours, facts, or lies – quickly spreads over social media, and mistrust of the authorities is high. We are concerned that the current guidance is inadvertently corroding public trust in the police and the government. This has the potential to inflame what are often deeply tense situations, by creating a sense that the authorities were not being honest with people about the circumstances surrounding the most serious and shocking crimes.
We note that the Prime Minister’s spokesperson yesterday confirmed the government position is that “all authorities, from the police up to central government, should be as transparent as possible when handling these cases”.
We would therefore ask that the Home Office review this guidance and determine whether it remains appropriate in the era of social media and online conspiracy theories.
Yours sincerely,
Rachel Taylor MP
Jodie Gosling MP