6
November 2018
Deaf man ‘let down’ by police after assault as no interpreter available
[…] The 66-year-old was “badly shaken”, bruised
and left with a cut on his arm after the incident on August 5. Mr Crackwell’s
neighbour took him to Bethel Street Police Station to make a statement, but on
arrival there were no BSL interpreters.
Mr Cracknell said: “When I arrived at the
station and the police hadn’t been able to get an interpreter I felt bad and
very upset.
“I need an interpreter, I have to understand
what is happening and to explain what happened to me.”
Mr Cracknell had to communicate with officers
by writing down everything down. But this was still a struggle as English is
not his first language as he has spent most of his life using BSL.
He added: “I was shaken after the attack and
disappointed there was no interpreter. I was told they only work Monday to
Friday. This made me very angry and upset. Police need to have an interpreter
working 24/7.”
Police say that the use of interpreters is
outsourced and that they tried to get Mr Cracknell one but none were available.
A police spokesman said: “Officers have
investigated this incident and carried out a number of enquiries, including
obtaining a written statement from the victim from the outset.
“Norfolk police relies on sourcing
interpreters from an external organisation and an appointment was made for an
interpreter at a later date.
