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Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has welcomed the positive improvements being made to transform the investigation of rape and sexual offences and deliver effective justice for victims.
A new inspection report published by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) highlights a series of innovative practices introduced by Durham Constabulary that have enhanced the way officers respond to and investigate sexual offences.
The force was one of four pathfinder forces to take part in Operation Soteria – a transformative new approach that brings together police forces and prosecutors with academics to better understand a suspect’s behaviour and to improve victim experiences within the criminal justice system.
The new HMICFRS report highlights key innovations in Durham that have improved the investigative response including a new system allowing officers to track performance in dealing with rape and sexual offences and analyse how effectively the force is investigating crimes and protecting survivors and a new process to manage high-risk rape suspects – even if they have not yet been convicted.
It also singled out a new system that allows individual investigators protected time for rape and serious sexual assault cases to ensure they can properly manage their workload and extensive specialist training undertaken by every one of Durham’s 300 detectives to better understand the psychology of sex offenders, how they target victims and the impact on survivors.
As part of her own work to strengthen the voice of victims of crime in the criminal justice system, the Commissioner introduced the role of a Domestic Abuse Champion, funded by Durham County Council for the past two years, to increase engagement with victims of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) crimes to better understand their ‘lived experience’ of the criminal justice journey. This research has exposed the issues they face navigating the justice system including the re-traumatising of victims of rape and serious sexual offences due to initial over-listing and repeated re-listing of cases.
In the past 12 months, the Commissioner has contributed funding worth almost £20k for a joint project with the Alice Ruggles Trust to deliver assembly talks in 52 schools across the force area to raise awareness of the early signs of stalking behaviour to prevent future tragedies.
More recently, the PCC confirmed plans to appoint an Engagement Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) to work within the Darlington and County Durham Rape and Sexual Assault Counselling Centre’s (RSACC) ISVA team. The new role is part of an 18-month project focused on building closer working relationships between police and ISVAs to improve the experience of victims of sexual violence through the criminal justice system.
She is also supporting implementation of the Police Stalking Champion model in Durham, funding training by Paladin - the National Stalking Advocacy Service - for 25 staff from the force and other frontline professionals at a cost of more than £5k. The training, set to take place on September 25, aims to increase the understanding of stalking.
Commissioner Allen said: “This report is highly welcomed, and shows the relentless effort being taken by the force to conduct thorough investigations that focus firmly on the suspect and ensure the rights of victims are ‘front and centre’. This is why Durham continues to have a consistently high charge rate nationally for rape and sexual offences. It also reassures future victims that they will be believed and sensitively supported by compassionate officers specially trained to meet their needs.
“In the last year alone, over 100 suspects have been charged with rape in County Durham and Darlington while the number of suspected sex offenders brought before the courts more than doubled in the first year of the pilot.
“These horrific crimes impact victims for the rest of their lives. We must continue the momentum and pioneer further approaches that will build confidence among survivors and ensure more perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes in the courts.”
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