Three out of four rape and sexual assault survivors say their mental health worsened as a result of the police investigation into their case, a report has revealed.
Of nearly 2,000 survivors across England and Wales surveyed as part of the Government-funded programme Operation Soteria Bluestone, more than half reported a negative impact on their health because of their police experience.
Some reported suicidal thoughts or “deep regret”, while one survivor said the police investigation harmed them more than the rape itself, the City, University of London-led survey revealed.
One unnamed survivor said: “After that interview, I was more traumatised than after the rape and was given no support.”
Another said: “I am more afraid of the police than being raped again.”
A total of 115 survivors covered by the Metropolitan Police service and 10 covered by the City of London Police service responded.
The report said: “Some of the survivors disclosed that they had been raped again since their report but have not reported this to the police.
“These respondents said that they have stopped reporting to the police because they fear the police more than they fear the perpetrator, even when the sexual abuse is still ongoing.”
Half of respondents said that they have lost trust in the police because of what the police did, or failed to do, in their case. This could include downloading the survivor’s phone or asking for their counselling notes.
Only 14 per cent felt safer as a result of the police response after reporting the crime, while almost half (42 per cent) did not feel believed.
The report indicated that the overall police response to rape and sexual assault survivors could be improving in recent months.
Professor Katrin Hohl, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at City, University of London who led the research, told Sky News: “The survey shows experiences in the last three to six months were significantly better than those of survivors before.
“That doesn’t mean every survivor who reported recently had a good experience, it’s just that a much greater percentage had a good experience.
“There’s indication there that potentially things are improving.”
Professor Hohl told Sky News some survivors said some perpetrators feel “emboldened” to reoffend with “impunity”.
“We need to come to a place where survivors are confident and comfortable going to the police if that’s the right choice for them and it is no longer a factor that they’re worried they wouldn’t be believed by police.”
Chief Constable Sarah Crew, National Police Chiefs Council Lead for Rape and Adult Sexual Offences, said: “This survey is evidence of that, and as we continue to advertise it, we hope more survivors will come forward and share their stories.
“Operation Soteria will improve the experiences of victims, tighten our grip on suspects and offenders and address the low charge and conviction rates.
“We have taken an honest and open look at the way we work, have welcomed academics in to scrutinise it and provide us with direction for how we can improve. This is not easy, but it is vital, we are determined to do better for victims.”
Commander Kevin Southworth, lead for public protection at the Met, said: “Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority as we learn from our past mistakes and ensure victims are at the forefront of everything we do.
“Over the past year have seen the biggest increase in charges for rape and other sexual offences and we’ve adopted a new approach for investigating these complex crimes to give victims the best possible service.
“We’re creating new teams made up of specialist investigators who will undergo significant training to ensure anyone who reports a sexual offence will be treated with kindness, empathy and compassion.”
Head of Specialist Operations at City of London Police, Detective Chief Superintendent Mandy Horsburgh, said: “It’s vital we learn from the experiences of victims and listen carefully to findings such as those published today, to improve our response to victims of rape and serious sexual offences.
“Our message is that we will believe you, we will listen and support you throughout every step of our investigation and we’ll do everything we can to bring the offender to justice.”
Launched in 2021, Operation Soteria is a national Home Office-funded research and change programme, led by a joint unit of the NPCC, Home Office and College of Policing.
It is a collaborative programme involving police forces, academics and policy leads to use evidence to better the police response to rape and other sexual offences.
