I’m not really knowledgeable in police work, but I cant help but wonder if this would’ve ended up differently if the police actually somehow kept an eye on him while they were investigating him.
“Because of Osborne’s guilty plea, there has been no criminal trial. The detail of events leading up to the murder of Ms Higton and Mr Harnett can only be reported because the BBC obtained the official chronology.
The BBC has been through several court hearings, including the High Court, to be able to report this information.”
Well done to the Beeb for fighting to get this out otherwise I have no doubt the authorities would have happily let this be covered up.
(Of course I’m not naive enough to think the Police will learn any lessons from this)
Another day, another woman dead because of male violence. How many laws have to be written in dead women’s names before it stops.
> The day after Ms Higton went to the police, on Friday 12 May, a social worker from Kirklees Council contacted her to offer “services” which she declined, the chronology shows. It is not stated what services these were – she might have been offered a place in a refuge, for instance.
Ms Higton agreed that she and the children would spend the weekend with relatives.
Police then arrested Osborne but released him shortly afterwards. He was served with a domestic violence protection notice, which meant he was not permitted to contact Ms Higton directly or indirectly or attend certain addresses and would be arrested if he breached these conditions.
This is why domestic violence is the most stressful department for police.
Police appear to have done everything right here. The suspect was arrested for a low level offence of threatening harm in the future presumably with just the victims word as evidence, given an order which is all they were able to do in this situation and conditions.
The victim has then despite the apparent fear refused to be safeguarded.
How are police supposed to protect people who refuse to cooperate? You can’t say “I think he’s going to kill me” and then not work with social services.
The police officers involved in this case must have been absolutely mentally and emotionally defeated trying to their job to the best of their ability only for the worst to happen despite them doing everything in their available options.
I’m not blaming the victim here but this isn’t as simple as “how could the police let her down” they are not minority report and as the article says 8 other women also thought their partner would kill them but they didn’t end in murder so where do your resources go? Perhaps those 8 are only still alive because of police efforts or perhaps threatening harm is so common that the courts and prisons simply cannot put people inside for words said before any act and even if they could, for how long?
4 comments
I’m not really knowledgeable in police work, but I cant help but wonder if this would’ve ended up differently if the police actually somehow kept an eye on him while they were investigating him.
“Because of Osborne’s guilty plea, there has been no criminal trial. The detail of events leading up to the murder of Ms Higton and Mr Harnett can only be reported because the BBC obtained the official chronology.
The BBC has been through several court hearings, including the High Court, to be able to report this information.”
Well done to the Beeb for fighting to get this out otherwise I have no doubt the authorities would have happily let this be covered up.
(Of course I’m not naive enough to think the Police will learn any lessons from this)
Another day, another woman dead because of male violence. How many laws have to be written in dead women’s names before it stops.
> The day after Ms Higton went to the police, on Friday 12 May, a social worker from Kirklees Council contacted her to offer “services” which she declined, the chronology shows. It is not stated what services these were – she might have been offered a place in a refuge, for instance.
Ms Higton agreed that she and the children would spend the weekend with relatives.
Police then arrested Osborne but released him shortly afterwards. He was served with a domestic violence protection notice, which meant he was not permitted to contact Ms Higton directly or indirectly or attend certain addresses and would be arrested if he breached these conditions.
This is why domestic violence is the most stressful department for police.
Police appear to have done everything right here. The suspect was arrested for a low level offence of threatening harm in the future presumably with just the victims word as evidence, given an order which is all they were able to do in this situation and conditions.
The victim has then despite the apparent fear refused to be safeguarded.
How are police supposed to protect people who refuse to cooperate? You can’t say “I think he’s going to kill me” and then not work with social services.
The police officers involved in this case must have been absolutely mentally and emotionally defeated trying to their job to the best of their ability only for the worst to happen despite them doing everything in their available options.
I’m not blaming the victim here but this isn’t as simple as “how could the police let her down” they are not minority report and as the article says 8 other women also thought their partner would kill them but they didn’t end in murder so where do your resources go? Perhaps those 8 are only still alive because of police efforts or perhaps threatening harm is so common that the courts and prisons simply cannot put people inside for words said before any act and even if they could, for how long?