'Damning' report finds police failed Britain's modern slaves, dropping cases early and even prosecuting victims

Police have failed to adequately tackle cases of slavery and human trafficking, sometimes even prosecuting victims, according to a watchdog.

As a result of compound shortcomings such as delays and clear missed signals, those suffering at the hands of slave-masters were not always recognised as victims, inspectors found.

Instead they remained trapped by their traffickers, or were arrested as offenders or illegal immigrants, according to the assessment from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

The news came after the Evening Standard's special investigation into modern slavery spoke to dozens of victims, some of whom had been held by authorities and accused of offences themselves.

Abigail, who told how she was forced into prostitution after being trafficked from Nigeria, was detained in an immigration centre for three months before being put through the National Referral Mechanism, the Government's system for identifying victims of slavery.

Failings detailed in the report included: a clear tendency to close cases prematurely, sometimes without speaking to victims or witnesses; extensive delays of up to eight months in starting investigations; and a lack of focus on safeguarding all potential victims.

It found that, in one case, a woman was forced to work as a prostitute but no rape offences were recorded despite her telling police of her experience.

In another example, immigration authorities contacted a force about a victim of domestic servitude trafficked into the country by private jet - but no investigation was started to identify suspects or locations of interest.

One woman found at a suspected brothel was arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. After inquiries revealed she was in the UK legally, she was left outside the premises where she was originally detained.

Officers later expressed concern that she may be a victim, but when the address was revisited it was empty, and the woman is still missing.

The report also found there was "variable commitment" among police leaders to tackling human trafficking and modern slavery, which are thought to affect tens of thousands of people in the UK.

Some senior officers openly expressed a reluctance to "turn over the stone" and proactively look for offences in the categories, citing concerns about the "potential level of demand", the report said.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams, who led the probe, said police have a "crucial role" to play in protecting thousands of men, women and children being "degraded and dehumanised" every day.

She said: "Whilst modern slavery cases can be complex and require significant manpower, many of the shortcomings in investigating these cases reflect deficiencies in basic policing practice.

"We found inconsistent, even ineffective, identification of victims and investigations closed prematurely.

"As a result, victims were being left unprotected, leaving perpetrators free to continue to exploit people as commodities."

Frank Field MP, who chaired the evidence review for the landmark Modern Slavery Act of 2015, said it was "impossible to think of a more damning report on police non-activity to defend and free slaves in this country".

He told the Standard: "It runs totally against the instructions that Theresa May gave when Home Secretary, that this was to be a priority area of work."

The NSPCC, which helps child victims of trafficking, said the report "shines a glaring light on how police are failing trafficking victims".

A spokesman said: “From recognising that modern slavery is a problem to better co-ordination, it is clear that much needs to be done.

“If we are to stamp out trafficking then officers need to look at the children they find in trafficking operations with fresh eyes and see that this is a child protection matter.

“These young people are first and foremost victims of abuse and entitled to protection, just like any other child.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Modern Slavery, Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer welcomed the research as "important, but frustrating, as it is out of date".

It was highly complex to parse the victim from the perpetrator in some cases since somebody who begins a victim of slavery can go on to commit crimes, he said.

"The person in front of you can swing between the two," he added.

He said that because the cut-off point for the report, which was the end of March 2017, the "transformation" triggered by a £8.5 million Home Office investment into fighting slavery was not captured in the report.

"There are now 17 dedicated posts in this area that didn't exist at the time," he said, adding that there had been a 218 per cent increase in police investigations into modern slavery in the past year.

Modern slavery and human trafficking can cover wide range of offending, including forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude.

An official estimate previously suggested there are up to 13,000 potential modern slavery victims in the UK, but last week the anti-slavery commissioner described this figure as "far too modest".

Premises targeted as part of police activity include nail bars, brothels and car washes.