Every police force to have specialist rape investigation unit – but not until 2029
The government announced that specialized rape and sexual crimes investigation teams will be established in every police force by 2029.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the tools and tactics used to catch abusers were outdated and should be replaced by special teams across all 43 forces in England and Wales.
Almost 30 forces already have a dedicated rape and serious sexual crime unit. Independent he understands. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs acknowledged that not every force will have such a weapon by 2029.
Campaigners said the delays were unacceptable and survivors would face an inconsistent response when they came forward.
The announcement, billed as the “biggest crackdown on violence against women and girls in British history”, also includes the nationwide introduction of domestic abuse protection orders, which were trialled last year.
The reforms are planned to be part of the long-awaited Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, which will be announced next week.
Ministers have pledged to halve the VAWG over the next decade but have faced criticism over delays in publishing their plans.
On Tuesday, chairs of the home affairs committee, justice committee and women and equality committee wrote to ministers over concerns from VAWG groups, warning that the delay had created “significant uncertainty” across the sector and sending the message that VAWG was “not a government priority”.
Announcing the latest measures, Ms Mahmood said: “This government has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency.
“For too long these crimes have been considered a fact of life. That’s not good enough.
“We will halve that figure within ten years. Today, we are announcing a range of measures to crack down on abusers and stop them in their tracks.”
“Rapists, sex offenders and abusers will have nowhere to hide.”
Domestic abuse protection orders can impose conditions to help protect victims from domestic abuse, including coercive behaviour, stalking and honour-related violence.
Conditions may include mandatory curfews, electronic tagging, exclusion zones, and reporting requirements for abusers; Offenders who disobey orders could face up to five years in prison.
The Home Office said around £2 million would also be invested in a police network to target online violence against women and girls.
The project is expected to build on the success of a secret network of child sexual abuse that resulted in the arrest of more than 1,700 perpetrators.
Andrea Simon, director of the Coalition to End Violence Against Women, welcomed the reforms but called on police forces to prioritize them without delay.
“All survivors deserve care, support and sensitivity when they take the courageous step to report what happened to them to the police and to have their cases investigated properly and thoroughly for the best chance of accessing justice,” he added.
“However, we are concerned that this may not be fully realized until 2029. In the meantime, survivors can often receive inconsistent responses depending on the power zone they live in. This is not acceptable.
“Rape victims face enormous challenges in the criminal justice system, resulting in longer delays in their cases than for other types of crime. We call on police forces to prioritize the implementation of these reforms without delay.”
Under Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government, the Home Office announced last year that they would launch Operation Soteria nationwide, a program that helps police and prosecutors work more closely together when investigating rape and sexual offences.
Ms Mahmood has previously hinted she is considering major reforms that could significantly reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales.
