Fast-tracked riot charges will 'add to the backlog' of sexual offences in criminal justice system

22 August 2024, 00:00

Fast-tracked riot charges will “add to the backlog” of sexual offences in the criminal justice system, LBC has been told.

Betsy Stanko, who helped create a new operating model for police when it comes to investigating rape, said it’s “frustrating” that the same urgency hasn’t been adopted for cases of violence against women.

A report into Operation Soteria - which was introduced last summer - has found a number of areas are preventing forces from making quick progress.

In nearly all police forces inspected, half of the investigators working on rape cases were found to not be fully qualified and are still in training.

A lack of understanding was also highlighted around what a repeat suspect is, despite 1 in 4 sexual offences reported to police relating to a person already known to officers for other allegations.

Professor Betsy Stanko told LBC: “It’s holding them back from making progress because there’s no consistency.

“What we were asking police forces to do is to know who’s in your system and whether they’ve been reported more than once for violence against women.

“One of the things the public gets concerned about is when police have knowledge of offenders in their database and they do nothing about it, but also the length of time it takes to get them through the system.

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“I think we need to be patient and impatient and we’ve seen from the riots that it can be done and it’s time for us to start thinking differently because I hear the same things being discussed but the context is very different now.

“When you begin to think about how the risk of further riots was mitigated, you have to think about that with rape as well - if further violence can be mitigated by accelerating cases through then I think we should think very seriously about how we do that.”

The Home Office-backed rollout of Soteria aimed to change the culture and process of how sexual offences are investigated across the country.

It urges police forces to focus more on the suspect, while supporting the victim and using context to lead their enquiries at every stage.

Inspectors have warned that limited resources and a lack of guaranteed longer-term funding needs to be addressed to make sure the best practice is effective across all areas.

Inspector of Constabulary, Michelle Skeer, said: “Some leaders didn’t fully understand Soteria or the benefits it can offer. We found resource gaps in digital forensics, analysis, victim support and investigation teams. In most forces we inspected, half of their rape investigation team roles are held by trainees.

“We recognise that forces are trying to make things better while dealing with high demand and limited resources. This is alongside the short-term funding for the Soteria Joint Unit and cases often taking too long to reach trial.

“However, even with all these challenges, Soteria presents a major opportunity for the criminal justice system. We must keep up the momentum towards change and give victims the service they deserve.”

Sarah* who reported being raped by her partner to police in 2021 told LBC the system feels like it’s not set up to support victims.

She’s still waiting for a court date.

“It’s really scary to be quite honest, all the government has done for years is strip the police of resources and it kind of shows they don’t care about victims whatsoever.

“We’ve seen recently that when they want to do something about it, they do - because these rioters have gone through the process within weeks. Why do I have to wait three or four years to even see the inside of a courtroom, or see any justice?

“There has to be a policy change. If it’s because they don’t have the resources or they don’t have enough trained people then train more. Do more.”

The inspection of police forces implementing Operation Soteria did praise chiefs for taking the issue of violence against women and girls seriously - and for pledging to implement the new Soteria model.

The report said: “In most forces, police personnel and their chief officers strongly support Soteria. Some personnel called it a “game changer”.

"They said that it is creating a culture that is better at understanding victims and their trauma, while also targeting repeat suspects more effectively. This is good.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: "This government will make sure victims of rape or sexual abuse get the justice they deserve. “While we welcome the progress being made, in far too many cases victims are being let down.

"That’s why it is so important that the police continue to make long-lasting improvements and put perpetrators behind bars.

"We will carefully consider the recommendations made in this report and work with the police to make the changes victims deserve."