UK Privacy Tsar: Stop Excessive Data Collection from Rape Victims

The UK’s privacy watchdog has referred to as for an close to too much info collection from victims of rape and major sexual assault cases, professing that it breaches knowledge safety guidelines.

In a strongly worded Commissioner’s Belief, new info commissioner John Edwards mentioned he envisioned the follow to cease right away, though creating recommendations on how data must be taken care of in this kind of circumstances.

“Our investigation reveals an upsetting picture of how victims of rape and severe sexual assault come to feel dealt with. Victims are staying treated as suspects, and individuals really feel revictimized by a program they be expecting to guidance them,” he claimed.

“Change is demanded to rebuild have confidence in that will enable a lot more victims to request the justice to which they’re entitled. I know the sector will assist these suggestions. Improve is doable and it should occur. The regulation requires it and my business will push for it.”

Evidence indicates that abnormal collection of very own and typically irrelevant facts – such as faculty, health care and social support records – can direct to victims withdrawing their allegations.

The approach, acknowledged as a “Stafford statement” in England and Wales, also places more personalized information at risk of remaining unintentionally leaked or breached by outsiders. Knowledge minimization is a key tenet of the GDPR.

CEO of Rape Crisis England & Wales, Jayne Butler, argued that the ICO’s tips will support police and the Crown Prosecution Assistance (CPS) prioritize victims’ rights.

“For far far too lengthy the police and CPS have been requesting, and at occasions, demanding unreasonable and extreme quantities of private information from rape victims and survivors. It feels like to report a rape is to efficiently give up your proper to privacy: to assume justice you need to hope scrutiny,” she claimed.

“The commissioner’s suggestions have the probable to greatly strengthen the encounters of victims and survivor’s likely by the felony justice approach.”

The ICO claimed that the recent method has led to alarmingly lower charge and conviction fees for severe sexual offenses. Moreover, victims of rape are additional probably to be female, have a incapacity and establish as gay, lesbian or bisexual, it additional.

Some elements of this report are sourced from:
www.infosecurity-magazine.com