Sadiq Khan draws up charter for crime victims

Victims of sexual assaults would have the right to report these crimes at women’s refuges or other centres under plans unveiled by Labour mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan today.

His proposal for a new victims’ charter comes after the Standard last week revealed two officers were disciplined for telling a woman who was sexually assaulted on a bus that she had to report it to a police station before they could arrest the alleged offender.

Tooting MP Mr Khan’s blueprint, which would apply to victims of all crimes, includes four rights:

To report a crime — including to some other centres other than police stations or to officers.

To record — to ensure victims can have their crime recorded.

To review — so victims can appeal a police decision not to record or charge someone for an alleged offence.

To access information — so victims can track online how a case proceeds.

An independent victims commissioner would oversee services for London victims, with an annual plan aiming to ensure they are of a high standard. Former shadow justice secretary Mr Khan said: “For too long, victims and witnesses have been treated as an afterthought, or ignored altogether.”

He said victims often report sexual assaults and domestic violence at places where they feel safe, such as women’s refuges. Under his plans, they would have a right to have the crimes reported, through these avenues, to the police. If police decide not to record them or to charge, the alleged victims would have a right to have that decision reviewed.

Labour MP Sir Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, backed Mr Khan’s proposals.