The New Statesman | UK politics and culture

Former Chief Prosecutor: "We've forgotten about those three little girls"

Aug 5, 2024

Nazir Afzal, a former Chief Crown Prosecutor known for his oversight during significant riots, joins Rachel Cunliffe to reflect on the recent far-right unrest following the tragic deaths of three young girls. He discusses how today's violence echoes the 2011 riots while highlighting the overshadowing of these tragedies by political agendas. Afzal emphasizes the critical societal issue of male violence against women and warns about the role of social media in spreading misinformation that fuels unrest.

17:50

Creator website

Episode guests

Nazir Afzal

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Nazir Afzal underscored the alarming shift of focus from the tragic deaths of three girls to political agendas amidst recent riots.

The podcast highlighted the importance of addressing systemic male violence instead of solely concentrating on immigration narratives in societal discussions.

Deep dives

Reflections on Recent Civic Violence

Recent riots and violence in the UK following the tragic killing of three young girls highlight a significant societal concern. Nazeer Afzal emphasized that, amidst the chaos, the focus seems to have shifted away from remembering the victims and toward a political agenda. He shared troubling accounts of individuals feeling unsafe and fearful in their communities, drawing parallels to the fears experienced during the 2011 riots. This current situation has underscored the need for calm and reassurance, reminding the public that while the violence is alarming, there is hope for resolution and safety in the future.

Intro

2min

Reflections on Civic Violence and Unity

9min

Crisis in the Justice System: Balancing Urgency and Delays

2min

The Impact of Social Media on Misinformation and Social Unrest

4min

Addressing the Overlooked Crisis of Male Violence Against Women

3min

This weekend, far-right riots and violence have continued to spread across the country after the killing of three young girls in Southport last week. Hundreds of people have been arrested following violent altercations and the destruction and burning of hotels in Rotherham and Tamworth where asylum seekers were living.

Nazir Afzal was a Chief Crown Prosecutor in 2011 during the August riots that began in London and spread across the whole country.

He joins Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, on the New Statesman podcast, to discuss how the far-right violence we have experienced in recent days is “reminiscent” of 2011, what has changed since then, and how the deaths of the young girls have been overshadowed by this political agenda.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more