Science

New report shows UK wildlife criminals are ‘on the run’

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A new study led by experts from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has revealed worrying flaws in the UK’s efforts to prosecute wildlife offenders.

The report, The System Fails: Prosecuting Wildlife Crime, finds that despite widespread public calls for tougher penalties, many perpetrators escape justice due to system failures. Ta. The research was carried out by Angus Nurse, Professor of Law and Environmental Justice at ARU, and Nadine Harding from the University of Gloucestershire.

The report, commissioned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), provides a comprehensive analysis of the obstacles facing those on the front lines of wildlife law enforcement. Professor Nurse, an environmental justice expert, led a team of criminologists to compile first-hand accounts from police officers, legal experts and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Their findings illustrate how the legal system is struggling to deal with the growing threat of wildlife crime.

The report highlighted significant challenges facing enforcement agencies, including a lack of resources, inadequate training and inconsistent evidence-gathering procedures.

The release of the report coincides with a YouGov poll showing overwhelming public support for tougher penalties for wildlife offenders, with 97% of respondents saying those who torture wild animals should be punished. 92% support establishing a formal reporting system for wildlife crimes. .

Nevertheless, reports on system failures reveal that criminals find ways to exploit weaknesses in the system and many cases go unpunished.

One of the most pressing issues identified by Professor Nurse and his team is a lack of capacity leading to consistency issues in gathering evidence and preparing cases for prosecution.

The team also identified the ‘unnotified’ status of wildlife crimes. This classification means that such incidents do not need to be reported to the Home Office, thereby excluding them from national crime statistics. As a result, these crimes are often obscured within broader categories such as violence and anti-social behavior, making it difficult to assess the true scale of the problem.

Professor Nurse said: “Research consistently shows that wildlife crime is not given the priority or resources it deserves. Instead, our system relies on the hard work and dedication of individual enforcement staff. We need better systems to provide the necessary support.” This is to investigate and prosecute these crimes. ”

“The current system fails to provide the support needed to protect wildlife and bring wildlife offenders to justice. The need for reform has never been more urgent.”

IFAW’s recommendations include making wildlife crimes “notifiable” offenses, requiring legal training on wildlife crimes, and establishing clear sentencing and prosecution guidelines. Additionally, the report calls for stronger multi-agency collaboration and a new approach to funding the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU).

More information: Setting the system to fail — Prosecution of wildlife crimes: d1jyxxz9imt9yb.cloudfront.net/ … -set-fail-report.pdf

Provided by Anglia Ruskin University

Quote: New report shows UK wildlife criminals are ‘on the run’ (1 October 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-10-wildlife-criminals- Retrieved October 1, 2024 from uk.html

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