English police bullying caused female officer's suicide?

I'm going to preface the following by saying that I've been a shooter all my life, grew up in a shooting family.  My mother likes to joke that she shot trap up until before I was born.  I've been educated about firearms my whole life.  I know how to handle them, I've shot many many different kinds, and been on several different shooting teams.

I was raised to have no fear of firearms, no fear of people who might think less of me being a female shooter.  I've never been in a situation where a man tried to tell me what I could "handle," thanks to my parents I've been protected from people like this.  I was always told I could "handle" anything I wanted to - and I have.  I have no problems being accurate with a .45, (though I choose to carry a 9mm) and have even shot a .50 cal.  What fun!

Just because I've never been made fun of, or bullied in the following case, doesn't mean that others haven't.  And I think that's very sad.

Merseyside, England Police "bullied" female officer who then suffered from depression and eventually hung herself in the home she lived in with her police officer husband.
More detailed article here

From what I can gather, and I make no judgements as I wasn't there, is that this woman was a firearms officer in a group of mostly men.  She felt bullied, couldn't re-qualify on the shooting tests (apparently for 6 times) and was released from the firearms unit.  She took time off from work because she was stressed and depressed.  So she killed herself. 

What her family/she says:

"Jeremy Baker QC, representing the family, said it was "a case, firstly, of a long-standing culture of discriminatory bullying in the firearms department of Merseyside police. Secondly, of a systematic failure of management to deal adequately with that, which led to the victimisation of not just the deceased but a large number of decent and hard-working members of Merseyside police. This had the effect of being the sole, or at the very least a significant cause of the deceased's death."

"Ms Tomlinson claimed that Mr Mutch had leant on her shoulder and berated her when she was taking "critical" shots to allow her to re-qualify for her firearms licence, the court heard. The inquest also heard that Ms Tomlinson was stopped from taking any practice shots when others were allowed to."

"Mr Baker told the court Ms Tomlinson believed there had been a "strategy to remove her". He added: "One doesn't need to be a psychologist to know the insidious harm that can be caused by bullying." In a statement, acting Inspector John Armstrong of Merseyside police said Ms Tomlinson had been "crushed" by being removed from the firearms department."
All from Guardian Article

What the firearms unit says:

"....Supt Stephen Gittins, who was in charge of the firearms unit and had co-authored the report, he denied hearing or reading such sentiments.... Mr Gittins said Pc Tomlinson had not been victimised or bullied and had been expelled for failing six re-qualification shoots and she had suffered from physical shaking.

"The fact that she failed to re-qualify on six occasions, that she hit the target in the wrong lane on two occasions and her physical demeanour in the shoots meant it was extremely unlikely she would ever retain her shooting authority," he added. Asked if he had any doubt that she should have lost her shooting authority, he replied: "I'm sorry, but not at all. None whatsoever."
BBC Article

"The Sefton coroner, Christopher Sumner, heard that two inquires carried out by West Mercia police and the Independent Police Complaint Commission failed to find any wrongdoing"

"Samantha Leeke, representing Merseyside police, argued that the force had no basis of knowing that Ms Tomlinson was about to take her life as she had made no official complaint. She said: "There remains no evidence that the force ought to have known of a real and immediate risk to her life."
Guardian Article

What bothers me most about this, is that both sides are stereotyped, and the stereotypes from both sides tick me off.  I don't care for men who don't want women in "their world" when women can handle the job just fine, maybe better.  And I don't care for women who try to force themselves into a man's position, when it doesn't fit, and then cry about how men are chauvinist bullies feminist crap blah blah blah.  Not every man is the same, and not every woman is the same.  So let's cut the bullshit. 

Like I said, I can't make a judgement on this with the information presented.  If you can't shoot, you shouldn't be on a firearms squad, period.  If a guy leaned on my shoulder to be mean while I was trying to shoot, I'd kick his ass.  Or at least somebody would be hearing about it.  There is never an excuse for bullying.  If she (or anyone) can't cut it, kick them off.  If they can, consider it an asset and get over yourself.  Why isn't her police officer husband mentioned, or quoted?  Her family is suffering, and that's sad.  I hope it all works out the way it's supposed to.

Comments

[Citizen Grim]

9mm is really the way to go.

Stopping power is slightly less (but only slightly - and honestly, if it's a life & death situation, shoot for the face), but you make up for it in terms of cheap and readily available ammo.

Several communities after Hurricane Katrinia set up a sort of crime watch to ward off looters, and many of them were able to "share" ammo with each other.

[Kath]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my two 9mm handguns! May have slightly less stopping power... but that's why you practice so you can hit just the right spots, even under pressure.

[big mamoo]

Your mother shot on a trap team throughout pregnancy; the season ended one week before you were born. You were also raised not to take any crap off anyone for any reason, not just shooting!