Rape charge rate progress 'not enough' - police boss

Avon and Somerset Police piloted a new way of tackling rape cases

Only 8% of rapes reported to Avon and Somerset Police (ASP) are leading to charges being brought.

Although this is double the rate for the previous year, Chief Constable Sarah Crew has said it is "not enough".

According to figures from the 12 months to April 2023, 141 reported rapes led to charges, compared to 69 the year before.

This puts ASP in the top three police forces for adult rape charges in England, the force said.

A performance and accountability meeting was told the number of sexual offences and domestic abuse crimes recorded has gone down.

Sally Fox, from the police crime commissioner's office, asked the Chief Constable what she was doing to ensure victims of sexual offences and domestic abuse crimes reported crimes.

Chief Constable Crew said: "Increasing trust and confidence is our top priority as an organisation. There is much work ongoing….about culture, leadership, transparency."

"But male violence against women and girls accounts for a quarter of all recorded crime... so if we are going to increase trust and confidence we can't do it without effectively tackling (and) addressing this area effectively," she added.

Chief Constable Sarah Crew said "increasing trust" was a priority"

Chief Constable Crew is also the National Police Chiefs' Lead for Adult Sex Offences.

ASP piloted a new way of tackling rape cases - Operation Sortia Bluestone - which is now being rolled out across the country.

Among other measures, the operation included the introduction of a specialist rape investigation team, a greater focus on perpetrator behaviour and improvements to the way digital evidence is handled.

Nearly 2,000 officers from Avon and Somerset Police working on the frontline have gone through a 'Domestic Abuse Matters' programme.

Chief Constable Crew said this meant officers would be able to complete domestic violence risk assessments "with a full understanding of the dynamics."

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