The APCC's Joint Leads for Victims have welcomed an assessment by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) of progress on the adoption of Operation Soteria, based on inspections of nine early adopter forces. Operation Soteria is an innovative approach designed to transform the way rape and other serious sexual offences are investigated and prosecuted based on collaboration between police, prosecutors and academics. Nineteen police forces have adopted Operation Soteria since its implementation began in July 2023.
APCC Joint Leads for Victims, Sophie Linden and Lisa Townsend, said:
“We are pleased to see that the way police understand and support victims of rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) is improving in those forces that have adopted Operation Soteria.
“Today's report makes important recommendations that we will consider carefully as part of our oversight of policing on behalf of the public. It is vital that the progress made so far is embedded and built on nationwide, and as Police and Crime Commissioners we continue to support and push for improvement in the policing and prosecution of these devastating crimes.”
Notes:
- Sophie Linden is London Deputy Mayor for Policing and APCC Joint Lead for Victims
- Lisa Townsend is Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey and APCC Joint Lead for Victims
- The HMICFRS report on progress to introduce a national operating model for rape and other serious sexual offences investigations is available here