Police forces in England and Wales to get units that tackle violence against women | Violence against women and girls

All police forces in England and Wales will have dedicated rape and sexual offences teams by 2029, the government announced as it prepares to unveil a strategy on violence against women and girls (VAWG) next week.

New Measures to Combat Violence Against Women and Girls

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is also expected to introduce domestic abuse protection orders in England and Wales, following a regional pilot scheme. These orders will be granted by judges in both civil and criminal proceedings, allowing them to impose sanctions on offenders, including electronic tagging and exclusion zones. Breaching the orders could result in a prison sentence of up to five years.

The government will also invest almost £2m in “crack police squads” comprised of “covert online investigators” to target internet abusers.

“This government has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency,” Mahmood said. “For too long, these crimes have been considered a fact of life. That’s not good enough. We will halve it in a decade. Today we announce a range of measures to bear down on abusers, stopping them in their tracks. Rapists, sex offenders and abusers will have nowhere to hide.”

The new rape and sexual offences teams will be led by “specialist investigators” trained to understand offender behaviour. The plans are a response to Operation Soteria, a Home Office project launched in 2021 to address concerns about the investigation of sexual violence reports and low charge rates. Initial data from the project indicated that half of the rape investigation teams were not fully qualified.

Training will focus on “rape mythology” and “problematic cultural issues” that can lead to victims being dismissed or blamed. Some officers will also be trained as sexual violence “first responders” to ensure appropriate initial contact with victims.

While the plans are in place, there will be no additional funding for these units, meaning forces will need to absorb the costs from existing budgets. The speed of implementation will vary depending on the existing expertise within each force.

The teams will be supported by the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, a £13m project established this year to improve the response to violence against women and girls.

Domestic abuse protection orders were initially piloted in Greater Manchester, parts of London, north Wales, and Cleveland in November of last year. The orders will target all types of domestic abuse, including economic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour, stalking, and “honour”-based abuse, with no maximum time limits placed on them.

Halving gender-based violence in a decade was a key pledge in Labour’s manifesto, but ministers have faced criticism for delays and a perceived lack of engagement with experts in the sector. Karen Bradley, chair of the home affairs select committee, recently expressed concerns about the length of time it has taken to publish the strategy, originally expected in spring of this year, and noted the delay sends a message that tackling VAWG is not a government priority.