Only one in 10 sexual assault survivors in England and Wales would report crime again, survey shows
Rape victims in England and Wales have echoed the message of Gisèle Pelicot in France that “shame belongs to perpetrators, not them”, in the largest ever survey of rape and sexual assault survivors, according to the government’s key adviser on the crime.Three-quarters of respondents to the survey of rape and sexual assault survivors said their mental health was damaged “as a direct result of what police did, or failed to do, in their case” and only one in 10 said they would report again, according to researchers.But a radical overhaul of the way the criminal justice system deals with rape since 2021 is showing the first “green shoots” of improving victims’ experience of the criminal justice system, with respondents after July last year 8% less likely to report damage to their mental health because of the police.Only two in five respondents agreed that policing is doing a good job and while one in five said they have been pressured by officers to withdraw, with black and minority ethnic survivors having worse experiences than white respondents.Operation Soteria, which focuses on perpetrators rather than victim behaviour and was fully rolled out in 2023, came after a rape review in June 2021 exposed the reasons behind a collapse in rape prosecutions – which in 2016/17 stood at 5,190 and fell 60% in four years to 2,102 in 2019/20, even as reports increased.
In the year ending December 2023, charges for sexual offences were up by 18% compared with the previous year, while adult rape charges increased by 38% in the same period.“Some victims are getting better service now, but not all,” said Katrin Hohl, the lead researcher and the government’s independent adviser on rape.“There are green shoots but there is clearly a long way to go.This is the first clear indication that Operation Soteria is the right model to back.”The survey, which heard from 5,000 rape survivors over 18 months, also found that since 2021 victims were less likely to be asked for counselling notes.
They also reported finding police more empathetic, likely to tell them about their rights and refer them to support services.But while more respondents had support after 2021, there was evidence of a potential shortage of support workers, with 46% of victims reporting after July 2023 saying they were on a waiting list, or did not have support.The survey showed “good police responses are possible” but exposed that “some officers are still only covering the basics”, said Sarah Crew, the national police lead on rape and Operation Soteria.“Disadvantage, discrimination, and contextual incompetence are still being felt,” she said.The survey also reveals that securing a conviction was less important to victims than stopping perpetrators and making them realise their actions were wrong.
When given a list of seven “positive outcome” options, securing a conviction came last: 88% of respondents said that stopping the perpetrator from raping again was “extremely important”, compared with 56% who said a conviction was extremely important to them.“Like Gisèle Pelicot in France, victims are saying that shame belongs to perpetrators, not them,” said Hohl.Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: “What makes all the difference to survivors is being treated with empathy, kindness and dignity and where this happens, it can have a really positive impact on their wellbeing and recovery.”The victims’ commissioner, Helen Newlove, called for the Home Office to announce continued funding for Operation Soteria, which runs out in March 2025.“I am concerned that withdrawing funding, right when it is still taking root, risks jeopardising tangible progress,” said Lady Newlove.
A Home Office spokesperson said policing funding for 2025-26 was being allocated and would be announced in due course.A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said the CPS would receive £49m to support victims of crime, including rape victims from the budget.Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said the findings of the survey were “stark” and showed the police response “still isn’t good enough”.She added: “We are committed to using these insights to deliver lasting improvements in policing moving forwards, part of our wider mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.”
Owner of Aberdeen, Southampton and Glasgow airports sold in £1.53bn deal
The owner of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports is being sold in a deal worth more than £1.5bn.The Spanish construction company Ferrovial and its partner Macquarie have agreed to offload the AGS Airports joint venture to AviAlliance, a German-headquartered airport operator.As part of the deal, which is expected to complete early next year, AviAlliance will pay £900m for the business and take on £653m in debt.Ferrovial and Macquarie’s 50/50 AGS joint venture was established in 2014 after their £1
Homebase collapses into administration with thousands of jobs at risk
The struggling DIY chain Homebase has collapsed into administration, leaving thousands of workers facing an uncertain future, despite the purchase of the bulk of its stores by the owner of The Range homeware retailer.Gavin Park, Gavin Maher and Adele Macleod from the financial advisory firm Teneo were appointed as joint administrators of Homebase’s owners, HHGL Limited and Hampden Group Limited.The owner of The Range and Wilko, CDS Superstores, has bought 70 of Homebase’s stores, saving up to 1,600 jobs, as well as the brand and intellectual property.The Homebase brand will continue to trade online, while the stores bought by CDS will continue to trade until they are handed over, at which point they will be rebranded as The Range superstores.Homebase had recently completed a sale of 11 of its UK stores to Sainsbury’s, and has exchanged on a further three locations
Cryptocurrency traders: share what got you into crypto, and how you feel about recent developments
It’s been an eventful few days for the cryptocurrency market, with the price of bitcoin having risen above $87,000 for the first time amid traders’ hopes that cryptocurrencies will boom in a favourable regulatory environment when Donald Trump returns to the White House.Bitcoin reached a record high of $87,198, before slipping back slightly on Monday. The price more than doubled from about $37,000 12 months ago.Other cryptos such as Dogecoin also experienced a “Trump pump” surge.We’d like to hear from retail investors who have bought crypto and how they have fared since they entered the market
Genetic testing firm 23andMe cuts 40% of its workforce amid financial struggles
The genetic testing firm 23andMe said on Monday it would cut about 40%, or 200 employees, from its workforce and discontinue further development of all its therapies as part of a restructuring program.“We are taking these difficult but necessary actions as we restructure 23andMe and focus on the long-term success of our core consumer business and research partnerships,” said the company’s CEO, Anne Wojcicki.The company said it was evaluating strategic alternatives, including licensing agreements and asset sales, for its therapies in development.The company has been left with few options as its value has plummeted in the aftermath of a massive data breach. The DNA testing company is being investigated by British and Canadian authorities over the 2023 breach that exposed 6
Sebastian Coe pledges ‘clearcut policy’ on women’s sport in IOC pitch
Sebastian Coe has promised to introduce an “uncompromising and clearcut” policy to protect women’s sport and to look into awarding prize money to all Olympic medallists if he is elected International Olympic Committee (IOC) president.In a clear sign that Coe intends to be the change candidate in next March’s election, the World Athletics president also promised to make the IOC more open and democratic, and to do more to harness the talents of the organisation’s membership.Coe, who ran the London 2012 Games and is a double gold medallist, has the deepest CV of the seven candidates for the biggest job in global sports politics. However no Briton has held the presidency since the IOC was formed in 1894 and his candidacy is opposed by the current leader, Thomas Bach, who he fell out with after World Athletics banned Russian athletes.But in his first major interview since declaring his candidacy, Coe said he would not be a “vanilla” candidate and protecting the integrity of sport would be a key plank of his manifesto
England will not ‘shut up shop’ against South Africa, insists Henry Slade
England are looking to banish their autumn frustrations at South Africa’s expense this Saturday and have vowed “not to shut up shop” against the reigning world champions. Successive defeats by New Zealand and Australia have dropped Steve Borthwick’s side to seventh in the world rankings but the players insist they can confound expectations and turn their month around.Rather than ditching the high-risk defensive system that has so far conceded eight tries in two games this month, England intend to double down and be even more aggressive with and without the ball in their first rematch against the Springboks since last year’s agonising World Cup semi-final defeat.In Paris just over a year ago England adhered to a strictly limited kicking-based gameplan against the Boks which came close to paying spectacular dividends. This time, however, they intend to stick to their recently embraced blitz defensive system and take South Africa on in attack as well
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