October 6, 2021
Kate Bex QC has been interviewed by LBC’s ‘The Legal Hour’ and MyLondon online about the Sarah Everard case and what measures the Metropolitan Police can take to reassure women that they are safe.
She was asked by LBC’s Daniel Barnett for ‘The Legal Hour’ whether, when someone is arrested, they are committing an offence by running away? She responded:
“I think this is all in danger of missing the point which is that it is not about getting lone females to modify their behaviour. This is, or ought to be, about addressing the reasons why lone females feel unsafe and are unsafe”.
In an interview with MyLondon, Kate Bex QC was asked to consider what women should do if approached by a police officer and felt unsure if they were acting lawfully. She welcomed the initiative announced by the Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police that officers will now proactively offer to carry out a verification check to anyone they engage with who appears concerned for their safety or vulnerable by putting their radio on loudspeaker and asking control to confirm who they are and that they are on duty. Kate said; “women are sick of being told how they should modify their behaviour…and are really clamouring for that not to be the response and that’s where Wiltshire have got it right…it acknowledges that it is not our fault.”
Listen to the LBC Radio interview here: [LBC Global Player] Scroll to 0:37:08
MyLondon interview here: [MyLondon]