A WOMAN who was viciously beaten up by Tesco shoplifters who have never been caught has said she was “failed by every system”.
Emilie Martin, 39 was shopping at a Tesco in Hackney, London, when she spotted a group of teenagers stealing sandwiches back in 2015.
SWNSEmilie Martin was attacked by a group of teenage thugs after a row in a Tesco[/caption]
SWNSShe was left bleeding from her eye and covered in blood with a huge gash above her left eye[/caption]
SWNSThe Tesco in Hackney, London[/caption]
Emilie says she has been left a shadow of her former self after the ordealSWNS
She reported the incident to the store manager but he told her the staff were powerless to stop them, confessing the group targeted the store nearly every day.
But Emilie, who was 29 at the time, did not realise the yobs had overheard the encounter.
As she left the store she was surrounded by the teenagers, sprayed with a drink, and when she threatened to call the police, she was punched in the face.
Now, 10 years after her assault, Emilie said she felt like she had to speak up after seeing comments by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, who claimed the public should help in tackling shoplifters.
She told The Telegraph she has been left with ongoing health issues and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Brave Emilie also revealed how she was re-traumatised during her four-year fight to receive a small amount of compensation, saying she now considered Hackney and Tesco ” a no-go for me.”
Her attackers have never been caught, with Emilie saying the Metropolitan Police showed “little concern” for her case.
To make things worse, Tesco told her CCTV footage of the incident had been “lost in a technical error”.
Emilie told the Telegraph: “The punch left me with permanent scarring, breathing problems, and the need for two operations on my eye and nose, plus another still pending after 18 months on an NHS waiting list.
“The physical injuries were only the start. I was diagnosed with PTSD, yet NHS mental health support has been a mirage: goalposts moved, waiting lists closed, and promises broken.”
Her claim for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) was initially rejected, meaning she had to go through two tribunal hearings.
In June 2021, she was finally awarded £3,480, six years after her initial assault.
She added: “Ten years on, I have been failed by every system meant to protect and support victims: the police, the justice system, the CICA, the NHS, and Tesco.
“On the night of the attack, I wasn’t even offered an ice pack, let alone an apology.”
Emilie claims she now has to avoid Tesco, Hackney Central and any news reports about similarly violent shoplifting gangs because she feels too on edge.
In fact, going to any supermarket makes her extremely nervous – and she also crosses the road any time she sees a group of teenage boys.
Now, Emilie has written an open letter to Mr Barber, asking what he wanted to “achieve” with telling people to stand up to petty criminals.
In the letter she says she understood his point and agreed the public has a role in stopping shoplifting.
But Emilie also noted that there needs to be more comprehensive protection and help for those who stick their head above the parapet to do the right thing.
She questioned if the police chief knew what he was really asking in urging the public to confront shoplifters – as her experience had made her fully aware of the risks.
SWNSEmilie was left bloodied and bruised as well as suffering mental health problems[/caption]
SWNSShe has now spoken out 10 years later after her horrific ordeal[/caption]
SWNSEmilie bravely spoke out after comments from Matthew Barber[/caption]
Mr Barber responded, dubbing her ordeal “horrific”, saying he understood why it had stuck with her ever since.
He said it highlighted society must do everything in its power to reduce crime – and showed offences like shoplifting are not as victimless as many might think.
The Thames Valley PCC said Emilie’s experience was one of those sad examples, which must be avoided, of no one stepping in to help.
The police boss emphasised it was the force’s job to reduce crime and catch criminals in the act but that everyone must band together to ensure we do not live in a lawless society.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “This was investigated thoroughly at the time and regrettably, we were unable to identify a suspect.
“The Met Police is working to support shopkeepers and tackle theft in the capital, this year solving 163 per cent more shoplifting cases than in the same period last year.
“If you see criminal activity taking place please call the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.”
SHOPLIFTING CHAOS
It comes as shoplifting offences surged in the UK with rampant theft fuelling out-of-control inflation.
In 2023, shoplifting added £133 to the cost of an average household’s shopping bill for the year, according to the Centre For Retail Research.
The Sun on Sunday’s own research suggests the new cost is nearly £147 — a ten per cent increase.
There were 516,971 shoplifting crimes last year, according to the Office for National Statistics, which is a 20 per cent increase on 2023 when 429,873 offences were recorded.
In its annual crime survey of major retailers, the British Retail Consortium found that violence and abuse against shop workers rose by 50 per cent, with more than 2,000 incidents recorded on average each day.
The Consortium is calling for the Government to crack down on the crime epidemic to prevent prices rising even further.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has come under increasing pressure to act on spiralling inflation after prices rose by more than expected in the year to June.
Our shoplifting probe has found that major High Street chains are now using alarm tags and stickers, each costing around £50, to protect everything from meals-for-one to make-up brushes.
And Ann Summers has become the latest retailer to give its staff body cameras to combat thefts.
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
