National World launches Silent Crime campaign

National World says in a coordinated drive across every title and every newsroom in its network, the publisher will be telling the stories of those who feel let down by or excluded from justice; told that there are no witnesses, no evidence to pursue, or simply not enough resources available to seek justice.

Many of us have been victims of crime, added National World, but sadly many of us have also been told that investigations are not worth pursuing, because there is no realistic chance of a prosecution.

National World says we need to ask why we have become accustomed to accepting shoplifting as a fact of daily life, and of assuming that there will always be nuisance behaviour after dark. Why almost everyone has a tale of criminal damage to their property, and why in many areas seeing a police officer is a rarity, added the publisher.

A trigger for the campaign was NationalWorld.com Editor In Chief Nancy Fielder's elderly mother being mugged in a park, at knifepoint, in daylight, says the publisher. She was unharmed but understandably extremely shaken up. Regardless of the situation of the perpetrator, who fled with her handbag, this is inexcusable, the publisher continued.

Nancy said: "When I tell people what happened to my family, the first reaction is always horror and the second is to tell me their own story. I now know that almost everyone has a horrific tale of crime to tell."

But sadly, the publisher says figures suggest that the chance of crime paying - or at the very least going unpunished - is high. In 2023 one in 10 reported crimes saw an offender brought to justice. And that's only the crimes that were reported.

National World says it will be compiling a dossier of people's experiences, as well as collecting statistics, and will present this to Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street to make sure that the very top of government knows what the situation is across the country. And this is not just to point the figure at the police. A constabulary can only work within the resources it has.

National World's Group Publisher Martin Wright said: "Our reporters speak to the victims of crime every day, and many of those on the receiving end can feel desperate about the situation.

"This vital campaign will draw together testimonies across the country and will give a voice to those who feel as if we are seeing an epidemic of crime, both major and minor, which has a pronounced impact on their quality of life. We need the powers-that-be to listen and, crucially, to take meaningful action."