Following letters from us and victim support groups and campaign organisations, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced a high priority investigation into rape victims’ mobile phones and personal records being collected, analysed and disclosed by police and the Crown Prosecution Service
Our legal and policy officer Griff Ferris was quoted:
“We welcome the information commissioner’s announcement of a high-priority investigation into demands for rape victims’ mobile phones and private records.
“We also urge the police and the CPS to take action to protect victims of rape from these digital investigations, which are swamping police in irrelevant information and obstructing the prosecution of potentially dangerous offenders. Treating victims like suspects is an affront to justice and a serious breach of people’s privacy rights. This broken system must change.”
The Guardian: Police trawls of rape victims’ private data to be investigated
Also reported in The Telegraph: ‘Worrying’ use of digital evidence in sex offence cases to be investigated by Information Commissioner