Statement – Victims’ Commissioner responds to the Baird Inquiry into Greater Manchester Police custody practices

The Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, has issued a statement in response to the Baird Inquiry into Greater Manchester Police custody practices.

The inquiry was launched in response to a media investigation into the force’s treatment of women in custody in one of their police stations. Today, Greater Manchester Police issued a statement, apologising to the individuals involved and accepting the recommendations set forth in the inquiry.

The Commissioner highlighted that these incidents were not isolated ‘one offs’ — and that the police failed in their duty of care, exposing already vulnerable individuals to further trauma.

The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said:

“These findings are truly concerning. A number of the individuals who came forward were themselves victims, contacting the police to report a crime – or to discuss a previously reported one. Possibly at-risk and vulnerable, they came looking for support but were met with strip-searches and further trauma.

It is important that members of the public in Greater Manchester region and beyond have confidence – and trust – in their local police force. Yet it’s clear from this inquiry that Greater Manchester Police failed in their duty of care to these individuals. We can conclude that these incidents were not isolated ‘one-offs’ and, as Dame Vera sets out in her report, they warrant an urgent change in how police perceive victims, particularly women who have previously experienced – and are still recovering from – trauma, including domestic abuse and sexual assault.

I want to thank Dame Vera Baird KC and the women and men who bravely shared their experiences captured in this important inquiry, and I am pleased Greater Manchester Police has issued an apology and committed to implementing the inquiry’s recommendations. It takes courage to revisit what is often deeply traumatic experiences and these testimonies provide police forces nationwide with a vital opportunity to learn, reflect and refocus.”