Headlines: UK government apologies to rape victims
Audio 04:59
British Home Secretary Priti Patel.
REUTERS / Peter Nicholls
By: Sébastien Duhamel Follow
11 mins
Publicity
The apologies and the shame of the British government. After the
#MeToo
wave
and at the time of the release of speech, the number of successful legal proceedings has dropped drastically across the Channel, explain
The Times
and many other newspapers. "
A vertiginous fall
", according to
The Guardian
and this phenomenon is unfortunately not linked to the decrease in the number of rapes. No, it is "
because of the failings of the police and prosecutors
" that "
thousands of victims have been deprived of justice
", the government itself admits, reports
The Independent
.
This is the result of a “
long overdue study
”, and “
the numbers are striking,
” says
The Guardian
: “
More than 52,200 rapes were recorded in England and Wales in 2020, but only 843 were recorded. resulted in an indictment at the end of the year
”. In other words, "
only 1.6% of rapes recorded by the police last year were the subject of successful prosecutions
, summarizes the British daily, that
is to say the lowest proportion of all crimes
".
And again, "
these are only cases that are brought to court
, further underlines an opinion piece
, because some women abandon the system, and many do not file complaints at all."
Obstacles are particularly important
, we learn,
for people most underserved by the justice system, such as black women, women belonging to minorities, deaf and disabled women in particular ”
.
A reform announced by the government
Issue seized by Home Secretary Priti Patel, Secretary of State for Justice Robert Buckland, and Michael Ellis, Attorney General. All three have issued a joint statement tells us
The Daily Telegraph
. This is where they apologized, expressed their shame at this trend and it is there that they presented their response to this issue. They promised "
a system overhaul to increase prosecutions and improve support for victims
." For example, now “
the police will have to focus on the perpetrator rather than the credibility
” of the person making the complaint.
And "
for the first time
," says
The Times
, "
police and prosecutors will now be graded on how they handle rape cases.
"
Scorecards
" will thus be published every six months, "
to show the performance of each part of the criminal justice system in England and Wales
.
“Words and promises, analyzes an association for the defense of victims in
The Guardian
.
Words that must now be "
matched with resources
", according to this association, which deplores that the government did not really mention it.
Climate: Belgium caught up with the courts
After the German government, overtaken by the justice of his country for its lack of ambitions on the climate, Belgium's turn. "
Justice castigates Belgium
", read the front page of the newspaper
Le Soir
. “
Belgium found guilty of climate neglect”
headlines
L'Écho
. For its part, the daily looks back on the “
interminable years of proceedings
” which led to this judgment before the Brussels court of first instance. It is an association, the ASBL Affaire Climat (Klimaatzaak), which lodged a complaint against the State in 2014. And it finally won. Verdict, develops
L'Écho
: well, yes, "
Belgium is guilty of infringing fundamental rights, because it does not take all the measures to prevent the effects of climate change ”
.
In short, rebounds
Le Soir
, the court ruled that “
by not doing enough for the climate, the federal government and the three regions violate the Civil Code and the Convention on Human Rights.
"
It is therefore "
a harsh judgment
, analyzes
La Libre Belgique
,
but which nevertheless leaves a taste of too little
".
Because "
justice gives reason to the non-profit organization Klimaatzaak, but it considers that it cannot impose more restrictive objectives on the authorities"
, deplores the Belgian daily.
Yet this is what the association demanded.
"The Lebanese June 18th Appeal"
An appeal launched by
L'Orient-Le Jour
.
“
81 years ago, to the day, Charles de Gaulle launched his call for resistance from London.
France was at war,
”recalls the newspaper.
And, from Beirut today, his editorial brings this appeal up to date, in the light of current events.
“
June 18, 2021, Lebanon is at war,
writes
L'Orient-le-Jour
,
at war against a corrupt, Mafia and criminal political class
”, we read.
“
A political class made up of the club of six, their accomplices and their supporters.
A political class which applies itself to killing an entire people.
To humiliate him with each passing day.
To prevent him from living, from surviving almost
".
A single conclusion is therefore necessary for the editorial of
the Orient-LeJour
.
Yes,
"Lebanon is at war and only resistance will be able to get it out of this hell in which it has been plunged for many months
".
Obviously,
"
pacifist
"
resistance
, which notably involves demonstrations or a "
mass
"
vote
in
the elections.
"
All the elections
, considers the author,
those of Parliament, municipalities, university unions ... To oust this mafia from all powers",
we still read.
“
Even if the anger roars,”
the resistance must be intelligent.
"
The fate of Lebanon is here
", concludes
L'Orient-Le Jour.
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