Greater Manchester Police introduce ‘improvements’ to protect women in custody, including new rules on strip searches, but many are unconvinced
Greater Manchester Police introduce ‘improvements’ to protect women in custody, including new rules on strip searches, but many are unconvinced
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) claims it has made some big changes to the treatment of women while in custody, following a Sky News investigation last year that found they had inappropriately strip searched three women while in custody.
This supposedly includes the ending of using police strip searches for “welfare” purposes and ensuring they are only used as a last resort when looking for concealed items. The changes include additional training for police officers dealing with domestic violence victims.
The Baird Report raised questions about the actions of GMP officers
The independent report in July 2024, found that the force has been responsible for a number of unlawful arrests and strip searches. It also exposed specific concerns around how the force treated women and girls and highlighted failures in the treatment of those who had suffered sexual or domestic violence.
The Sky News Investigation in 2023 looked into the custody practices of GMP and led to an inquiry from the former victims’ Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird. This report from July 2024, found “horror stories” of police making unlawful arrests and conducting unnecessary strip searches, sometimes to victims of domestic violence of sexual assault.
The Baird Report investigated 14 cases in which GMP had been accused of improper behaviour. This raised many questions around the actions of GMP officers and the police complaints process. All people interviewed for the Baird Report had made complaints against the GMP, and none were satisfied with the outcome.
As part of her review, Baird found that GMP’s response to the complaints was “essentially evasive, defensive or aggressive in tone and rejecting any police error”.
As a response to the report GMP stated that it accepted the recommendations of the report and that improvements needed to be made. They are now claiming that wide-ranging changes have been implemented to protect women in custody, including stopping strip searches for welfare purposes and further training for officers dealing with domestic violence victims. GMP now also have a dedicated female welfare officer in its custody suites and will soon introduce a new independent oversight panel to scrutinise arrests.
GMP victims not convinced
Despite the introduction of these changes, many victims of GMP are not convinced. One victim, named Sophie, who isn’t so sure is a woman who was arrested at 3am in 2022, and was detained for 11 hours after her ex-partner, who was designated by the police as a highly abusive, domestic abuse perpetrator made a trivial complaint to the police. She told Sky News that even after the Baird Inquiry found her arrest to be “unlawful” and the chief inspector called her treatment “appalling”, the arrest was still described by the police complaints department as “acceptable”.
Sophie’s abuser claimed she broke his car wing mirror, 14 months previously, and that she had bruised his arms on an occasion when he has strangled her. She was arrested at her home in the middle of the night, despite her claiming the police knew she was trying to protect herself from her abuser.
Sophie told Sky News: “He’s got a history of domestic violence; he’s got a history of being incarcerated. They knew what I’d gone through, they knew what I was trying to protect myself from. She felt like her arrest was an extension of her abuse and that if she was in an abusive relationship again, she’d think twice before going to the police.
“I was in contact regularly with domestic violence support workers who were meeting with police liaison officers. They knew that I had the locks changed. They knew I had an alert on the house and my phone.”
“I wouldn’t just be OK with reporting something now, I would look at the consequences of me doing that, and what could happen as a result of me doing that, and how they would treat me,” she said.
“It’s going to take me longer to get over what happened to me that night in being arrested and being locked up than getting over being slapped or punched.”
GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson said he was “appalled” by Sophie’s treatment. Speaking to Sky News he said:
“It’s a systemic failure, a leadership failure, a process failure. I do think in individual circumstances it may be a failure of experience.”
One month after this, Sophie received a letter from the police complaints department which stated that “there were sufficient grounds for your arrest” and that “the service provided by the police was acceptable.”
These findings were retracted after Sophie revealed that her case was part of the Baird inquiry.
In a statement, GMP told Sky News: “The outcome Sophie was provided was incorrect. Having reviewed the handling of the complaint, our head of professional standards gave Sophie a personal apology and we are ensuring there is a full reinvestigation.”
They continued: “We are working hard to ensure that the people of Greater Manchester – particularly women and girls – can have confidence in their police force. This includes providing trauma-informed training for officers and getting better outcomes for victims – with 1,500 more domestic abuse survivors now getting justice compared to three years ago.
“Our communities can have confidence that the force is robust in maintaining good order and discipline. Those not fit to serve are being removed from GMP with more than 100 officers dismissed on the Chief Constable’s watch.”
Sky New was told that most complaints related to the Baird inquiry are still under investigation and no officers have been disciplined or dismissed thus far.
The treatment of women and girls by police is something that has long raised concerns. There is a well-reported culture of misogyny in the police, with many high-profile cases alleging police forces across the UK discriminate against women leading public confidence in the police to drop. The 2024 report about GMP was just another example of this ongoing issue surrounding the mistreatment of women by police. While we hope that these improvements do lead to significant positive change, the outcome of which remains to be seen.
HNK Solicitors can help if you have ever suffered mistreatment by the police
Mistreatment by the police is something we hear of all too often. The police are supposed to be there to protect the public, not traumatise or mistreat them. Unlawful arrests and strip searches, in particular, can be incredibly traumatic for an individual. If you have ever suffered any form of mistreatment by police, HNK Solicitors can help you get the justice you deserve.
Alongside making a police complaint to get the officer or officers involved disciplined, you could also file a civil claim for compensation. Compensation can help you to move on from the incident and provide you with reimbursement for any losses suffered, psychological or physical trauma, and reputational damage.
HNK Solicitors have a team of dedicated action against the police solicitors who can handle your case sensitively and support you every step of the way. We have many years of experience supporting individuals with claims against the police and fighting to ensure they get the outcome they desire.
If you would like help in making a civil claim against the police, you can organise a free consultation with one of our expert solicitors. Get in touch with our team today by calling us on 0151 668 0809 or email us at enquiries@hnksolicitors.com. Alternatively, you can fill in our online claim form to make a start on your claim right away.
