Rape Reform Program Extended to All Police Areas in England and Wales

This comes after criticism from women who have made rape complaints that the police and court systems are still "weighted in favor of the accused." Despite the government's efforts to improve charge rates, fewer than 2% of rape offenses in England and Wales have resulted in a charge or court summons as of December 2022.

The Metropolitan Police faced criticism in March 2021 for a strategic and operational failure to tackle rape and sexual offenses, including a case where a fridge containing forensic samples was switched off by accident, compromising a rape investigation.

Some women have experienced failures in the court process, such as not being informed about witnesses or not being told about the outcome of their case.

Despite the implementation of Soteria, some women still feel that the system is stacked against them.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has introduced a new system for investigating rape cases in England and Wales.

The NPCC lead for rape and adult sexual offences, Chief Constable Sarah Crew, says the new system is a "huge step forward" in supporting victims.

The government has promised to train 2,000 police officers as specialist rape investigators by April 2024.

Official figures show that the number of rape charges and cases reaching crown court has increased in the last three months of 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels, although there is still progress to be made in meeting the Ministry of Justice's targets.