Quarter of forces lack basic policies on sexual offences, report says
A new analysis shows that more than a quarter of police forces in England and Wales do not possess basic guidelines for investigating sexual assaults, four years after Sarah Everard's rape and murder. The Angiolini Inquiry has found that urgent action is now needed to prevent more violent, sexual assaults against women and girls, as well as tackle predatory men.
According to Lady Elish Angiolini KC, who chairs the inquiry, there was a discrepancy between how police dealt with violence against women and other high-priority crimes, where "funding and preventative activity are the norm."
Key Events and Findings
Ms Everard was kidnapped and murdered by Wayne Couzens, a serving police officer, while walking home in south London in March 2021.
Couzens, who is serving a whole life term in prison, had been a police officer for almost 20 years prior to murdering Ms Everard. In the months leading up to the attack, it is suspected that he indecently exposed himself on two separate occasions.
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) has been described as a national threat, and in 2023, the government outlined the need for police forces to coordinate their response and funding to combat such crimes in accordance with other national threats.
Call for Action and Data Collection
"Until this injustice is addressed, violence against women and girls cannot legitimately be described as a 'national priority,'" Lady Elish said.
The study also raised questions over national data, including how many women report male perpetrators of rape and other sexually motivated crimes in public spaces. Lady Elish warned that patterns of offending cannot be determined until these figures are collected and tracked consistently across all departments.
Ms Everard's family said in a tweet that they wished the new inquiry findings had far-reaching implications. Their statement read: "It shows how much work remains to be done in preventing sexually motivated assaults against women in public spaces and all those who are vulnerable.
Sarah is always on our minds, and we expect the probe will continue to honour her memory. We stand in recognition of the urgent need for positive change."
Inquiry Recommendations and Personal Testimony
Part two of the Angiolini Inquiry's new recommendations include urging more people to intervene when they see bad conduct, as well as consistent collection and sharing of reports at national and local levels.
Farah Naz, the aunt of Zara Aleena—who was sexually assaulted and killed after a night out in east London by a prolific criminal in 2022—hopes that the Good Samaritan law she has campaigned for is taken seriously and progresses with urgency. She said: "My niece was walking home. That is all she was doing."
This research examines specific failures surrounding Sarah and Zara, but also addresses the broader contexts, cultural trends, and operational deficiencies that place women and girls in public spaces at risk. "Better street lighting, improvements to information about positive masculinity for both men and boys, and more consistent public alerts on how to report crimes such as indecent exposure are among the other recommendations."
