West Midlands needs assessment · Key finding
Seen Through Stereotypes
The victim's ethnicity was missing in 61% of police crime records in 2021 to 2022, according to HMICFRS, the police inspectorate.
“I think they just have their preconceived ideas and it's easier to believe that than to actually help.”
Survivor S03, West Midlands needs assessment
The finding
Survivors in our West Midlands research described having to navigate pervasive stereotypes that shaped how service providers perceived them and how they were treated.
Survivors who did not match the image of a perfect victim described ridicule and disbelief, and wanted professionals to understand controlling images.
When ethnicity goes unrecorded, racialised survivors become invisible in the data, and services lose the evidence they need to recognise and meet their needs.
Next steps
Our session on racism, victimisation and the perfect victim stereotype on Wednesday 16 December 2026 explores this finding through case study discussion.
More findings
Source: Dias, Stretch and Abdulakadir (2025), Sexual Assault and Abuse Needs Assessment for Racialised Communities in the West Midlands, We Are Frieda CIC.