The head of the homicide squad, Mick Hughes, has been castigated on social media for suggesting women need to be safety conscious when jogging or walking around town.

It is doubtful Hughes has had the chance to respond on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram because he and his investigators have been busy trying to catch the killer of a 17-year-old girl stabbed to death while walking through a Doncaster park.

Detective Inspector Mick Hughes. Credit:Eddie Jim

Hughes doesn't look like an Internet surfer or an avid blogger. Indeed, having let his sideburns grow alarmingly, he could pass for the lead singer in an Ol'55 tribute band.

So what did he say that caused such uproar?