Newthoughts
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- Feb 21, 2019
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I remember and agree. They were strange times and there were minor breaches of lockdown rules. It isn't victim blaming to state facts and I agree it will have contributed to her nervousness and compliance when questioned.Some of us mentioned this early on, but were shouted down by accusations of "victim blaming".
No one was "blaming" her, but it is a fact that the actions of a victim can be a contributory factor in the outcome. And the prosecution has made that point: that if Sarah had not broken any rules she might have had the confidence to resist. We can, as the prosecution has done, acknowledge this without attributing blame.
Someone asked earlier about police officers working alone. While we would normally expect police officers to be operating in pairs, Sarah would have assumed that he was unaccompanied because of the need for social distancing. This was another way in which Couzens was aided by the pandemic.
Regarding him being alone - I'm not sure that would have been a red flag for me even in non covid times. The warrant card would have been enough for me to believe he was a acting within the law. It's only from being here that I've realised that a lone officer is not the norm