All police forces to get specialist sexual offence teams, Mahmood pledges
The government has promised that specialist rape and sexual crime investigation teams will be established in every police force in England and Wales by 2029.
This is part of a long-delayed plan to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
The strategy, which will include funding undercover units operating online and introducing domestic abuse protection orders, will be unveiled on Thursday after being withdrawn three times this year.
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said the measures would “help suppress abusers, stop them in their tracks”. “Rapists, sex offenders and abusers will have nowhere to hide.”
The government said the new teams will have officers with specialist investigative skills to work on rape and sexual offense cases.
More than 50 percent of police forces already have such teams, but the government says every force will have dedicated officers by 2029.
It is stated that the staff will have the right training to understand the mentality of abusers and victims.
Announcing the move, the home secretary said: “This government has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency.
“For too long these crimes have been seen as a fact of life. This is not good enough. We will halve these crimes within ten years.”
It was also announced that protection orders against domestic abuse, which were tried in England and Wales last year, will be put into practice.
It can prohibit individuals from contacting a victim, visiting their home, or posting harmful content online, and can also be used in situations involving coercive or controlling behavior. Violating an order is a criminal offence.
Around £2 million will also be invested in special undercover units consisting of police officers operating online to target those who harass women and girls online.
A report published earlier this month found that more than a quarter of police forces in England and Wales had not implemented basic policies regarding the investigation of sexual crimes.
Stating that sexually motivated crimes against women continue to be common in the public sector, the organization criticized the limited nature of the data on them and called for urgent action to prevent attackers from committing crimes.
The publication of the government’s strategy has been long overdue. It was initially expected to be announced in the spring.
In its general election manifesto last year, Labor promised to “use every government tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence”.
On Tuesday, the chairs of the three House of Commons select committees expressed concern about repeated delays in publishing plans.
The BBC has been told before. Changing attitudes among boys and young men will be at the heart of the proposal.
It is understood that the plan will be shaped around three goals: preventing the radicalization of young men, stopping abusers and supporting victims.
Some victims of domestic violence told the BBC the time for conversations is over and these measures need to be implemented quickly.
