Ulrika Jonsson has admitted she didn’t report her rape 35 years ago and still wouldn’t today as she feels “vulnerable as a woman”, according to a damning new Met Police report.
Women have said this month they have lost faith in the Met after a controversial report by Baroness Casey revealed how bad things are for rape victims – with a female officer saying she would not report her own rape to the police.
And in her latest column for The Sun, the 55-year-old TV personality revealed that she too would not feel comfortable reporting her assault, explaining that she was “deeply uncomfortable with any kind of interaction with the police.” “ would feel.
The mother-of-four – who has spoken out about her assault in the past – said she did not report it at the time of her rape aged 20 because date rape was not considered a crime, while she said so did not feel “believed” since she knew who her attacker was.
Speaking after the new report, which labeled the Met “institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic,” Ulrika said she’s just as nervous about reporting on it now as she was three decades ago.
Open: Ulrika Jonsson has admitted she didn’t report being raped 35 years ago and still wouldn’t today as she feels ‘vulnerable as a woman’, according to a damning new Met Police report
Wow: Women have said this month they have lost faith in the Met after a glowing report from Baroness Casey revealed how bad things are for rape victims – with one female officer saying she would not report her own rape to the police
She said: “As a woman, I feel very vulnerable. Right now I would be deeply uncomfortable with any kind of interaction with the police.
“When I was raped in a hotel room at the age of 20, there was no recognition of ‘date rape’ – there was no such crime. And that was the main reason why I never went to the police because society taught me that as a woman I’m at fault if I’m alone in a room with a man.’
She went on to say that she “lived with that guilt” for decades, explaining that her perception of rape at the time was that of a woman being attacked on a street late at night by a stranger — not someone you know .
Ulrika said that because of this, she didn’t think her attack “would believe” and that although she ended up in hospital after the rape, she “never said a word”.
The Swedish-born star’s words came in response to Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid, who said she was “scared” of women following the fierce scrutiny that reported another officer’s claim that the police’s detection rate for Rape is so low, ‘you might as well say it’s legal in London’.
The years-long inquest into Baroness Casey ordered after Sarah Everard’s murder branded Scotland Yard as institutionally sexist.
While an officer who claims she was raped by a male colleague while on their date told Dame Louise: “If I was going through the same things I was going through then I would 100% not report it and I would advise my friends and family too not. It is not worth. I wouldn’t report it to the police. I tried to kill myself this year because of the police investigation, it took my life.
In her column, Ulrika continued to slam the results while also hitting on a recent glitch at a Maidstone police station where an A4 printout in the window advised victims of “non-emergency crimes” to report it to the police via an online form – with “rape and sexual assault” alongside traffic incidents, fraud and general inquiries.
Honest: The 55-year-old TV personality revealed that she too would not feel comfortable reporting her assault, explaining that she would be “deeply uncomfortable with any kind of interaction with the police”.
Sad: The mother-of-four shared that she didn’t report it at the time of her rape aged 20 because date rape wasn’t considered a crime, while also saying she didn’t feel like she it would be. believed” since she knew who her attacker was (pictured aged 21 in 1989)
Vulnerable: Speaking after the new report, which branded the Met as “institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic,” Ulrika shared that she would be just as nervous about covering it now as she was three decades ago
She went on to say that the incident was “further evidence” that the enduring police culture is not just one of “sexism, misogyny, apathy,” but also an “indifference” to women’s safety.
The former gladiator host then called for urgent “action,” noting that women were “done with intent and investigation.”
At the end of her open contribution, Ulrika emphasized once again that given the current police apparatus, she would still not feel comfortable enough to report a rape.
She said: “I’ve thought many, many times over the years what I would do if – God forbid – I was raped again. I wrote in this column that I would like to think I would report it, no matter the circumstances. But as I write for you today, I can’t say I would.’
Findings: Baroness Casey felt the force was institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic, adding that she would not trust the Met if she were raped herself to investigate her case
Shock: Susanna Reid said she was “scared” of women after the blistering review, which reported another officer’s claim that the police detection rate for rape was so low “that you might as well say it’s in London is legal”.
Response: Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Chief, said he felt “excited, embarrassed and mortified” after reading the report
It comes after Good Morning Britainsaw Susanna Reid challenging Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about what has gone wrong with the police force – particularly when it comes to crimes against women.
Susanna quoted the Casey report released that day, in which an officer said: “If you look at our performance on rape and serious sex crimes, the detection rate is so low you might as well say it’s legal in London .” A community officer added, “The best outcome is closing a report to reduce your workload.”
Ms Reid said: “Honestly, reading this actually scared me. Because those kinds of messages aren’t helpful to women in London. Another problem is that victims of rape and domestic violence feel they are a nuisance, partly because officers are overworked and lack experience.
Sir Mark Rowley said he agreed with Ms Reid’s comments, adding: “Certainly we would like victims to come forward.”
Not possible: At the end of her open post, Ulrika emphasized again that with the current police strength, she still would not feel comfortable enough to report a rape
Uneasy: “I’d like to think I’d report it, regardless of the circumstances. But as I write for you today, I can’t say I would.
In her review, Baroness Casey said she did not have full confidence that the Metropolitan Police would deal adequately with a report of rape or sexual assault.
She said Ms Everard’s murder should have been like a “plane falling out of the sky” for the Met. But instead “she preferred to pretend that her own perpetrators of unscrupulous crimes were just ‘rotten apples’ or no cops at all.”
When asked if she would report such an offense to the Met, Baroness Casey told Times Radio: “Well, as a woman, I think it’s absolutely vital that whenever we’re attacked we always make sure it’s recorded .”
When asked if she had any confidence that the force would handle it properly, she said: “No, I don’t have full confidence that they would handle it properly.
“And I know it’s awful to say that, but that’s the biggest thing they need to change. It still means we should get in touch.’
If you are affected by this story, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline in the US at 800-656-4673 or visit www.rainn.org.
In the UK contact Rape Crisis on 0808 802 9999 using the online chat facility.