Scotland Yard abandons policy of automatically BELIEVING rape complainants as commissioner Cressida Dick says 'a clumsy misunderstanding is no police matter'

Cressida Dick said officers should keep open mind when victim comes forward

She said Scotland Yard is to abandon its policy of automatically believing victims

Guidelines that instructed officers to believe alleged victims automatically were put in place following revelations in 2011 that abuse accusations had not been properly investigated

Scotland Yard is to abandon its policy of automatically believing victims as commissioner Cressida Dick said 'clumsy behaviour between somebody who fancies somebody else' was not a matter for police.

Miss Dick said officers must investigate rather than blindly believe an allegation, and should keep an open mind when a victim has come forward. 

'It is very important to victims to feel that they are going to be believed,' she told the Times.

'Our default position is we are, of course, likely to believe you but we are investigators and we have to investigate.'

Scotland Yard commissioner Cressida Dick (pictured) said officers must investigate rather than blindly believe an allegation, and should keep an open mind when a victim has come forward

Guidelines that instructed officers to believe alleged victims automatically were put in place following revelations in 2011 that abuse accusations – including those made against Jimmy Savile – had not been properly investigated.

However the Met later faced fierce criticism when it revealed that uncorroborated allegations of a Westminster sex abuse ring from a man known only as 'Nick' were 'credible and true.'

The Crown Prosecution Service is now considering whether to charge 'Nick' for perverting the course of justice after these claims were found to be false.

'I arrived saying very clearly to my people that we should have an open mind, of course, when a person walks in,' Miss Dick added.

'We should treat them with dignity and respect and we should listen to them. From that moment on we are investigators.  

Miss Dick said: 'Our default position is we are, of course, likely to believe you but we are investigators and we have to investigate'

The Metropolitan Police chief, who has been in the role for nearly 12 months, also urged caution when discussing the #MeToo movement, which has highlighted sexual harassment and abuse around the world. 

She told the newspaper: 'Speaking as a cop, opposed to a citizen, I'm interested in crime. If it's a long time ago, or it's very trivial, or I'm not likely to get a criminal justice outcome, I'm not going to spend a lot of resources on it.

'And what might be a misunderstanding between two people, clumsy behaviour between somebody who fancies somebody else, is not a matter for the police.'  

A spokeswoman from the Met Police confirmed there were a number of reviews into the force's practices that were ongoing.

Last week Miss Dick warned that social media posts using abusive language were driving children to commit violent crimes 'within minutes'.

She said gangs were using online platforms to glorify street violence and show off 'with weapons'.

Miss Dick also raised concerns about the violent undercurrent in some music, especially grime. 

Britain's most senior police officer said she would not to be cowed by political correctness, adding that crime victims had told her they want to see police 'get out there and do more'.