Only one in 10 sexual assault survivors in England and Wales would report a crime again, a survey suggests Rape and sexual assault

Rape victims in England and Wales have echoed France's Gisèle Pelicot's message that “shame belongs to the perpetrators, not them,” in the largest-ever survey of rape and sexual assault survivors, according to the government's top crime adviser.

Three-quarters of respondents to the survey of rape and sexual assault survivors said their mental health had been harmed “as a direct result of what the police did or did not do in their case,” and only one in 10 said that he would report again. according to researchers.

But a radical overhaul of the way the criminal justice system deals with rape since 2021 is showing early “green shoots” of improving victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system, with respondents becoming 8 more likely to report harm after July last year % lower is mental health because of the police.

Only two in five respondents agreed that police are doing a good job and one in five said they had been pressured by officers to stand down, with black and minority ethnic people having worse experiences than white respondents.

Operation Soteria, which focuses on perpetrators rather than victim behavior and was fully rolled out in 2023, came after a rape investigation in June 2021 revealed the reasons for a collapse in rape prosecutions – which stood at 5,190 in 2016/17 and down 60 % fell over four years to 2,102 in 2019/20, even as reports increased.

In the year ending December 2023, sexual offense charges rose 18% compared to the previous year, while adult rape charges rose 38% over the same period.

“Some victims are now receiving better care, but not all,” said Katrin Hohl, the government’s lead researcher and independent adviser on rape. “There are green shoots but there is clearly still a long way to go. This is the first clear indication that Operation Soteria is the right model to support.”

The survey, which surveyed 5,000 rape survivors over 18 months, also found that victims are less likely to be asked for counseling notes as of 2021. They also reported that police were more empathetic and more likely to inform them of their rights and refer them to support services.

But while more respondents received support after 2021, there was evidence of a potential shortage of support workers: 46% of victims reported after July 2023 that they were on a waiting list or did not receive support.

The survey found that “good police responses are possible” but showed that “some officers are still only covering the essentials,” said Sarah Crew, the national police's head of rape and Operation Soteria. “Disadvantage, discrimination and contextual incompetence are still felt,” she said.

The survey also shows that getting a conviction was less important to victims than stopping perpetrators and making them realize their actions were wrong. In a list of seven “positive outcome” options, obtaining a conviction came last: 88% of respondents said it was “extremely important” to stop the perpetrator from raping again, compared to 56% who said , a conviction is extremely important to them.

“Like Gisèle Pelicot in France, victims say that shame belongs to the perpetrators, not them,” Hohl said.

Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: “What makes all the difference for survivors is that they are treated with empathy, kindness and dignity, and when this happens it can have a really positive impact on their wellbeing and their lives recovery.”

Victims Commissioner Helen Newlove called on the Home Office to announce continued funding for Operation Soteria, which ends in March 2025. “I fear that withdrawing funding at a time when it is still taking root risks jeopardizing tangible progress,” Lady Newlove said.

A Home Office spokesperson said funding for policing would be allocated for 2025-2026 and would be announced in due course. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the CPS would receive £49 million from the budget to support victims of crime, including rape victims.

Jess Phillips, the minister for protection and violence against women and girls, said the survey results were “strong” and showed the police response was “still not good enough”. She added: “We are committed to using these findings to sustainably improve policing in the future. This is part of our broader mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.”