This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-63237217
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Gaia Pope's family call for alleged rapist review | Gaia Pope's family call for alleged rapist review |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The family of Gaia Pope-Sutherland are demanding changes into policing and health and social care services | The family of Gaia Pope-Sutherland are demanding changes into policing and health and social care services |
| The family of Gaia Pope-Sutherland are calling for an independent investigation into her alleged rape. | The family of Gaia Pope-Sutherland are calling for an independent investigation into her alleged rape. |
| Miss Pope, 19, was found dead 11 days after she went missing in Swanage, Dorset, in 2017 having been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. | Miss Pope, 19, was found dead 11 days after she went missing in Swanage, Dorset, in 2017 having been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| Her family say her disorder was caused when she was drugged and sexually attacked by a man at 16 years old. | Her family say her disorder was caused when she was drugged and sexually attacked by a man at 16 years old. |
| Her cousin said she reported the offence after suffering a mental health crisis triggered by the experience. | Her cousin said she reported the offence after suffering a mental health crisis triggered by the experience. |
| Gaia Pope-Sutherland's cousin Marienna Pope-Weidemann, during a press conference at Doughty Street Chambers in London, where her family called for changes in policing, health and social care to prevent future deaths | Gaia Pope-Sutherland's cousin Marienna Pope-Weidemann, during a press conference at Doughty Street Chambers in London, where her family called for changes in policing, health and social care to prevent future deaths |
| Marienna Pope-Weidemann said Dorset Police chose not to pursue the report. | Marienna Pope-Weidemann said Dorset Police chose not to pursue the report. |
| She said: "I think the decision to take no further action on Gaia's rape case was devastating for her and why she was so concerned about it was because we knew there were other victims. | She said: "I think the decision to take no further action on Gaia's rape case was devastating for her and why she was so concerned about it was because we knew there were other victims. |
| "In terms of the police over the next two years what we saw was a consistent and repeated failure to recognise her vulnerability. | "In terms of the police over the next two years what we saw was a consistent and repeated failure to recognise her vulnerability. |
| "We are calling for a real independent investigation because it is absolutely in the public interest for us all to understand how this could be allowed to happen." | "We are calling for a real independent investigation because it is absolutely in the public interest for us all to understand how this could be allowed to happen." |
| 'I'm sickened by police's amateurish mistakes' | 'I'm sickened by police's amateurish mistakes' |
| Mental health a factor in teen's death - inquest | Mental health a factor in teen's death - inquest |
| Teen felt police did not believe her, inquest told | Teen felt police did not believe her, inquest told |
| 'Discriminated against' | 'Discriminated against' |
| Ms Pope-Weidemann said the police had discriminated against Miss Pope by allegedly hanging up on her when she called them on the day she went missing. | Ms Pope-Weidemann said the police had discriminated against Miss Pope by allegedly hanging up on her when she called them on the day she went missing. |
| "Even on the very day Gaia went missing, she had contact with the police, she was showing clear signs of being in an acute mental health crisis," she said. | "Even on the very day Gaia went missing, she had contact with the police, she was showing clear signs of being in an acute mental health crisis," she said. |
| "Not only did they not take any action, they discriminated against and hung up on her." | "Not only did they not take any action, they discriminated against and hung up on her." |
| Search and rescue teams scoured the open space above the cliffs near Swanage in the hunt for Gaia Pope | Search and rescue teams scoured the open space above the cliffs near Swanage in the hunt for Gaia Pope |
| The family also alleged that during Miss Pope's submission to hospital, "she had been repeatedly sexually harassed by another male patient". | The family also alleged that during Miss Pope's submission to hospital, "she had been repeatedly sexually harassed by another male patient". |
| "She disclosed that to staff, and not only did they fail to take appropriate safeguarding action, they didn't even log the incident," Ms Pope-Weidemann said. | "She disclosed that to staff, and not only did they fail to take appropriate safeguarding action, they didn't even log the incident," Ms Pope-Weidemann said. |
| As part of the family's Justice for Gaia campaign, the family are demanding changes including improved funding for mental health services and the creation of a specialist unit dedicated to investigating rape and sexual offences across all police forces in the UK. | As part of the family's Justice for Gaia campaign, the family are demanding changes including improved funding for mental health services and the creation of a specialist unit dedicated to investigating rape and sexual offences across all police forces in the UK. |
| Family members of Gaia Pope-Sutherland comfort each other outside Dorset Coroner's Court in Bournemouth after the inquest in July | Family members of Gaia Pope-Sutherland comfort each other outside Dorset Coroner's Court in Bournemouth after the inquest in July |
| "We want to see police forces bringing in the "Gaia Principle" to make sure when they get reports of serious sex offences they are obliged to check for other similar allegations from other potential victims and to present all those cases together as a whole to the Crown Prosecution Service," Ms Pope-Weidemann said. | "We want to see police forces bringing in the "Gaia Principle" to make sure when they get reports of serious sex offences they are obliged to check for other similar allegations from other potential victims and to present all those cases together as a whole to the Crown Prosecution Service," Ms Pope-Weidemann said. |
| Failing to follow the process should be a police misconduct matter. | Failing to follow the process should be a police misconduct matter. |
| The campaign also includes a manifesto for change across mental health and social support in Dorset and nationwide. | The campaign also includes a manifesto for change across mental health and social support in Dorset and nationwide. |
| An inquest into Miss Pope-Sutherland's death found she had died of hypothermia within 18 hours of going missing on 7 November 7 2017. Her body was found 11 days later in undergrowth between Dancing Ledge and Anvil Point. | An inquest into Miss Pope-Sutherland's death found she had died of hypothermia within 18 hours of going missing on 7 November 7 2017. Her body was found 11 days later in undergrowth between Dancing Ledge and Anvil Point. |
| The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it "carefully" examined how the force investigated the rape allegation. | |
| But it added: "While we found the police investigation could have been more thorough, any failings by individual officers did not amount to breaches of the professional standards of behaviour. | |
| Gaia Pope's family produced a video to show to the inquest jury | |
| Gaia Pope's family produced a video to show to the inquest jury | |
| "We found performance issues for four officers for some inadequacies, including not contacting all witnesses, not submitting intelligence reports and insufficient record-keeping. " | |
| The IOPC said it established that Dorset Police did informally speak to the CPS about the rape investigation, "but there was insufficient evidence to merit a formal referral to them". | |
| In a statement an IOPC spokesperson added: "However, we did find that Dorset Police failed to advise Gaia's family of the Victims' Right to Review (VRR) following their decision not to refer to the CPS. | |
| "We established that the closing code used to finalise the investigation on police systems did not tally with search terms used by the Victims' Bureau to identify cases suitable for VRR. | |
| "Consequently, the bureau did not write to the family to inform them of their right to request a review of the decision to take no further action in respect of the rape report." | |
| The IOPC recommended Dorset Police ensured its officers knew the search terms used by the bureau. | |
| "This recommendation was accepted by the force and will go some way to reducing the risk of the same happening to other victims in such circumstances in the future," the IOPC said. | |
| Dorset Police has been contacted for comment. | |
| Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. |