Zayna Iman’s memory of her 40 hours in police custody comes back in flashes. What she does remember has haunted her for nearly three years.
The 39-year-old believes she was drugged and raped in her cell before being left naked and distressed on the floor, cowering under a blanket and so disorientated she urinated on herself.
Her quest for answers over what happened at Pendleton police station is subject of an IOPC investigation that has so far raised only more questions.
This is despite Zayna being handed dozens of pages of documents and police CCTV containing hour upon hour of distressing film - but, crucially, two are still missing.
Greater Manchester Police had initially told her that all cell footage had been reviewed, and there was no evidence to support her rape allegations.
Then the force told her several hours had been ‘corrupted’ and were not recoverable.
The IOPC began investigating and soon discovered the film ‘was never downloaded’, that GMP gave her false information and denied she had been strip-searched. It is now examining why.
corruption of evidence controlled by the party alleged to have done the crime should always be taken as an admission of guilt. Don’t want to be assumed guilty? Get better data systems, especially if it seems to only happen at key moments.
They know what it looks like. They always know everybody knows what actually happened. It’s obvious they are just covering their rapist asses because nobody can technically prove it, which is the point. They can accept the social backlash, they can’t accept jail time.
No matter the country, no matter the time period, no matter the circumstances, never forget the universal truth: Blue Lives Don’t Matter. Fuck The Police.
ACAB!
Nonono, be more specific. If the cops do it, then yes. If other grand/mass surveillance things do this, then yes.
But this could just as easily be taken as “You had your phone with you and didn’t record during the time of the crime? Sucks to be you!”
Yes, this should be the law, not just a good idea. Cops should be presumed guilty until proven innocent in every case where their actions are supposed to be recorded.