Campaigners from Cornwall Resists have accused Devon and Cornwall Police of putting the lives of refugees at risk and stoking community tensions.
The accusations come after Devon and Cornwall Police released a press release about a man being charged with rape in Newquay, giving the alleged perpetuator’s address as Narrowcliff. Narrowcliff is the same road as the Beresford Hotel that’s seen a recent protest from the far-right over its housing of refugees.
Despite Narrowcliff being a very long road, covering two postcodes, this information has been weaponised by the far-right to call another protest at the hotel without a shred of evidence that the alleged attacker was a resident. However, Devon and Cornwall Police have now confirmed, too late to stop this escalation of community tensions, that the person arrested was not a resident.
Cornwall Resists organised the successful counter protest at the Beresford Hotel last month and have called another counter demo on Sunday in response to the latest attempt to demonise and threaten the refugees living there.
A spokesperson for Cornwall Resists stated:
“The rapist was NOT in the hotel or even a refugee. How could the police screw up this badly? They should have known this would inflame community tensions. Publishing the address “Narrowcliff” when they know the hotel has been subject to a concerted far-right racist smear campaign is disgusting and staggeringly incompetent.
“Our thoughts are with the survivor of this attack who now, thanks to the police, has to face the devastating trauma of her assault being publicised, lied about and politicised by the far-right. Our thoughts are with the refugees in the hotel, who are once again facing hate because of the lies of fascists and the racist ignorance of a police force who don’t give a shit about their welfare.
“Like other forces across the UK, Devon and Cornwall police is institutionally racist and misogynistic. Black people in Cornwall are 14 times more likely to be stopped by the cops. The force showed its contempt for Black people when a sergeant who shared a vile meme of George Floyd’s death, kept his job. Just weeks ago, another cop from the force was charged with rape and sexual assault. In February, a report found that the police were often failing to record reports of violent crime including harassment, stalking, controlling and coercive behaviour and domestic abuse. It further found that it “does not always accurately record” reported incidents of rape, and the recording of crimes against children were also a concern.
“While our focus is now on opposing the racists who’ll continue using this smear to push their vile agenda, it’s important that we remember that it is the police who’ve enabled this situation and who will to be blame if anything happens in Newquay on Sunday.”
Cornwall Resists also criticised the local media for publishing the press release without questioning its content. The press release was widely publicised across various local media establishments.
The spokesperson continued:
“We would also like to know why the press release was taken word-for word with no questions or editing. Only the police are given the privilege of having their statements covered word-by-word. Our own statements aren’t treated like this, nor would we expect them to be. However, any local journalist or editor should have been aware of the current tensions around Narrowcliff and taken the decision to edit this information out of the press release.”
Finally Cornwall Resists is calling on the organisers of Sunday’s protest at the hotel to cancel their plans:
“The protest on Sunday has been called under false pretences. It is currently spreading a dangerous and racist lie that the alleged perpetuator is a resident at the hotel. It is time for the organisers to admit they got this wrong and call off their plans. If they fail to do so, it is clear that they do not care about the survivor of this attack, but want to use her trauma to push their fascist agenda and they will be opposed by the Cornish community”.
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