Rape Crisis England & Wales reports
What we've published recently.
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The Rape Review – Two Years On
Our June 2023 briefing looking at what's changed since the government published its End-to-End Rape Review Report in 2021. This is a joint briefing with the Centre for Women's Justice, the End Violence Against Women Coalition and Imkaan.
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Listen to us!
Our April 2023 joint report on the communication barriers facing facing Black, Minoritised, Migrant, Deaf and Disabled survivors who try to get help from state-run services – and how the police and other public bodies are routinely failing them. Nineteen organisations contributed to this report.
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Breaking Point
Our March 2023 report on how victims and survivors of rape are waiting years for their cases to reach court – and being re-traumatised in the process.
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Holding It Together
Our October 2021 report into the impact of Covid-19 on Rape Crisis services. And the resilience our network showed in the face of surging demand.
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The Decriminalisation of Rape
Our November 2020 report on how the criminal justice system is failing survivors of rape. This is a joint report with the Centre for Women's Justice, the End Violence Against Women Coalition and Imkaan.
External reports related to rape and sexual violence
Listed in chronological order, starting with the most recent.
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Updates from the Angiolini Inquiry (ongoing)
An independent inquiry into "how an off-duty Metropolitan police officer was able to abduct, rape and murder a member of the public".
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Updates from the Law Commission's review of how evidence is used in trials involving sexual offences (ongoing)
The Law Commission is an independent body that works to make laws "as fair, modern, simple and as cost-effective as possible". The government asked the Commission to carry out this review following its own Rape Review.
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Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls – Policing Performance and Insights Publication (2023)
The first national policing performance and insights publication on tackling violence against women and girls, jointly produced by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs' Council. The publication "realises the commitments made in the [College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs' Council's] VAWG delivery framework and VAWG: Outcomes and performance framework".
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Pornography regulation: The case for Parliamentary reform (2023)
The report of an inquiry into the pornography trade by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Commercial Sexual Exploitation.
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How the police respond to victims of sexual abuse when the victim is from an ethnic minority background and may be at risk of honour-based abuse (2022)
A response by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services to a super-complaint made by the Tees Valley Inclusion Project.
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Operation Soteria Bluestone Year One Report (2022)
An independent review of the first year of Operation Soteria Bluestone, a collaborative programme between police and academics that aims to develop a new national model for the investigation of rape and other sexual offences.
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The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (2022)
This final report of the Inquiry sets out the extent to which state and non-state institutions failed in their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation, and makes recommendations for reform.
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Rape Review progress update (2022)
One year on, the government gives an update on the progress that's been made in addressing the issues raised by its Rape Review.
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Who’s Under Investigation? The processing of victims’ personal data in rape and serious sexual offence investigations (2022)
A report by the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's independent body set up to uphold information rights.
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Home Affairs Committee inquiry into the investigation and prosecution of rape – Publications (2022)
This House of Commons select committee explored the question of why rape prosecutions are falling.
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A joint thematic inspection of the police and Crown Prosecution Service’s response to rape – Phase two: Post-charge (2022)
The second of two reports from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate’s joint inspection of the investigation and prosecution of rape in England and Wales.
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The London Rape Review 2021
This report by the Mayor of London's Office for Policing and Crime is a follow-up to the 2019 London Rape Review. It aims to give "an updated picture of the characteristics of reported rape in London, with an in-depth focus on examining requests for victim technology".
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Rape Review Progress Update (2021)
Six months on, the government gives an update on the progress that's been made in addressing the issues raised by its Rape Review.
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Policing violence against women and girls – National framework for delivery: Year 1 (2021)
This joint delivery framework by the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council is aimed at "bring[ing] consistently high standards to the police response to VAWG offences".
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Police response to violence against women and girls – Final inspection report (2021)
Findings from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services' inspection of how effectively the police respond to violence against women and girls (commissioned by the Home Secretary).
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A joint thematic inspection of the police and Crown Prosecution Service’s response to rape – Phase one: From report to police or CPS decision to take no further action (2021)
The first of two inspection reports by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate that look at the response, decision-making and effectiveness of the police and Crown Prosecution Service at every stage of a rape case – from first report through to finalisation of the case.
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Tackling violence against women and girls strategy (2021)
This Home Office policy paper sets out the government's "approach to tackling crimes which disproportionately affect women and girls". It follows strategies in 2010, 2016 and 2019.
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Interim report: Inspection into how effectively the police engage with women and girls (2021)
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services was commissioned by the Home Secretary to carry out this inspection.
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Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges (2021)
Ofsted was asked by the government to carry out a rapid review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges.
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The end-to-end rape review report on findings and actions (2021)
The report of the government’s End-to-End Review of the Criminal Justice System Response to Rape, which "looked at evidence across the system – from reporting to the police to outcomes in court – in order to understand what is happening in cases of adult rape and serious sexual offences being charged, prosecuted and convicted in England and Wales".
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Improving the Management of Sexual Offence Cases – Final Report from the Lord Justice Clerk’s Review Group (2021)
An independent and judicially-led review of the management of sexual offence cases in the Scottish court system.
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Police-CPS Joint National RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) Action Plan 2021
A plan setting out "how the police and the CPS will work together to improve [their] joint response to RASSO over the next three years".
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Reclaiming Voice: Minoritised Women and Sexual Violence (2020)
Published by Imkaan, the UK's only national second-tier women’s organisation dedicated to addressing violence against Black and minoritised women and girls.
Other relevant reports
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The Baroness Casey Review (2023)
An independent review of the Metropolitan Police's internal culture and standards of behaviour.
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Baroness Casey's Interim Report on Misconduct (2022)
An interim report by Baroness Casey, who was tasked with completing an independent review of the Metropolitan Police's internal culture and standards of behaviour.