Greater Manchester Police say they are arresting and charging more people with rape and sexual assault after previously coming under fire for 'failing' victims.
The force had been criticised by campaigners who said survivors of rape were being denied justice after figures revealed by the M.E.N showed just 2.4 per cent of completed cases resulted in a charge or summons after police finished considering the evidence.
Just one in 42 adult rapes investigated by GMP in the twelve months to March 2022 resulted in charge or summons, according to Home Office data.
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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News earlier this year, Detective Chief Superintendent Michaela Kerr, who is head of Public Protection, said despite some improvements their response was 'still not good enough.'
Experts had previously voiced concerns that the disbandment of specialist rape investigation units had in part been responsible for the drop in results.
But other campaigners, including former GMP detective turned whistle-blower, Maggie Oliver, said reinstating the units wouldn't solve the issue, and instead called for better training and retention of skilled officers across the force.
A new rape and sexual offences superintendent has subsequently been appointed at GMP, and the force was selected to work with the Home Office for Operation Soteria - a project bringing together academics and frontline police officers to develop a new national operating model for the investigation of rape.
In new figures released by the force today (Monday 10 July), the force revealed that in the twelve months to June 2023, there was a 4.2 per cent increase in the recording of rape and sexual assault, and a 51 per cent increase in summons and charges - equating to approximately one in ten.
It comes as all 43 police forces across England and Wales, and all rape prosecutors, begin implementing the new approach from the Home Office to deal with rape and other serious sexual offences.
Responding to the latest figures, Supt Kerr said GMP had been under 'no illusion' and recognised that their response to rape and other sexual offences 'really needed to improve.'
"Whilst data shows that we have made initial progress, it doesn’t reflect the hard work of Digital Forensics to ensure victims' electronic devices are returned to them as soon as possible or the Sex Offender Management Unit who prevent crimes from being committed by those who are being reintegrated into society," she said.
"We really care about getting it right for those who have suffered rape and other sexual offences – our commitment to continuous development will hopefully give them the trust and confidence in us to allow us to investigate whilst they access specialist support."
The Home Office said there are early signs of improvements in the police forces - including GMP - and CPS areas already participating in the Operation Soteria programme.
It said a progress report showed improvements have been made in response to rape across 'every stage of the criminal justice system,' adding that data suggests more victims are reporting these crimes to the police.
But Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: "While we have seen some progress, the Government have been too quick to claim that they’ve tangibly changed the justice system for rape survivors.
"We’re barely off the starting blocks, but we now have a roadmap which is going to need a lot of support to realise its ambitions.
"It still remains the case that the vast majority of rape survivors don’t report to the police, and the majority who do will leave the system altogether due to the barriers to justice they find themselves up against."
Ms Simon added: "Ultimately, given that the majority of survivors do not report to the police, we need to make sure action to address sexual violence looks beyond the criminal justice system and prioritises prevention work with young people in schools and through wider public information campaigns."
