After going to police expressing worry about her obsessive ex-boyfriend, UK teen Shana Grice was told she was “wasting police time” and made to pay a fine. Months later, Shana was found dead in her apartment with her throat slit- her ex-boyfriend was later cuffed and in police custody.
After breaking things off with her on again off again ex-boyfriend, 27-year-old Michael Lane, 19-year-old Shana Grice noticed his behavior turn obsessive and violent. He began stalking Shana after he heard she got back together with a previous boyfriend, Ashley Cooke. Lane allegedly began hiding in front of her house and leaving notes on Cooke’s car saying “Shona will always cheat on you”.
After reporting to the police that Lane had assaulted her he denied it and showed police text messages that “suggested she wanted to be in a relationship with him.” It was then that the police fined Shana for filing “a false report” and “wasting police time”. Lane’s behavior only escalated from there- in July 2016 he stole the keys to Shana’s apartment and broke in to “watch her sleep” and continuously made “heavy breathing phone calls”. All that seemingly wasn’t enough for the police since they labeled it a “low-risk” crime.
Lane is currently on trial for Shana’s murder, although he denies having killed her. The police found Lane’s shoes with Shana’s blood on the bottom near the scene of the crime and while he says he saw Shana lying dead in her apartment he admits he fled the scene and did not call police.
This is a sad example of what happens when authorities do not believe victims upon arrival. There were so many points where the police could’ve intervened and at the very least offered an order of protection but instead, they fined the victim. Law enforcement- both abroad and at home- should make it their duty to serve the victims of a situation, not their own convenience.
Top photo via Facebook
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