Operation Soteria creating a victim-centred culture, but system-wide change needed to ensure its success

In a new report, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has assessed the progress of Operation Soteria, an unprecedented programme to transform how the Crown Prosecution Service and police forces across England and Wales handle rape and serious sexual offences.

It aims to lead to better outcomes for victims, including through the use of intelligence, analysis and digital forensics.

The inspectorate heard Operation Soteria described as a “game-changer” by police personnel, with the programme improving how police understand and support RASSO victims.

Since 2021, 19 early adopter forces have been putting Soteria in place via the National Operating Model (NOM).

The NOM sets out a foundation of investigative practice and corporate guidance that help forces achieve better outcomes in rape and other serious sexual assault cases. And by November 2024, the Home Office wants all forces to adopt Soteria by putting the NOM in place.

In nine of the early adopter forces assessed, inspectors were told of positive cultural change, with new training helping investigators understand how victims are targeted.

But the inspectorate also found areas where forces need to improve their approach to make the most of the programme, urging forces and other bodies to fix things quickly. For example, in nearly every force inspected, half of rape investigation teams aren’t fully qualified and are still training.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer said: “For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have been failed by the criminal justice system. Many struggle to come forward, out of fear of not being believed or being unable to access support.

“It is crucial the police respond effectively to these devastating crimes. That’s why Operation Soteria sets out a new approach and model in response, grounded in decades of research examining policing practice.

“Out of nine forces inspected so far, early signs of positive progress are being seen. For instance, new training is helping investigators understand victims and their response to trauma. Under Soteria, investigators also assess the wider context of a crime, including intelligence about the RASSO suspect and digital evidence.

“But improvements are required to ensure Operation Soteria is implemented effectively.

“For example, some leaders didn’t fully understand Soteria or the benefits it can offer. We found resource gaps in digital forensics, analysis, victim support and investigation teams. In most forces we inspected, half of their rape investigation team roles are held by trainees.

“We recognise that forces are trying to make things better while dealing with high demand and limited resources. This is alongside the short-term funding for the Soteria Joint Unit and cases often taking too long to reach trial.

“However, even with all these challenges, Soteria presents a major opportunity for the criminal justice system. We must keep up the momentum towards change and give victims the service they deserve.”

Inspectors said that most forces see tackling RASSO as a strategic priority, but some senior leaders do not fully understand how Operation Soteria works or the benefits it can offer.

RASSO cases also take a long time to get to court, with victims often waiting at least two years to reach trial. Significant delays make victims more likely to withdraw support for their case, said HMICFRS.

In addition, in many forces, funding for essential victim services was only covered for the next three months. Losing support services could have a major impact on victims as they recover, inspectors warned.

While forces have invested in technology to improve investigations, HMICFRS said there are “major gaps” in data. This makes it harder to identify suspects or repeat offenders.

HMICFRS has made 14 recommendations to chief constables, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the College of Policing and others. These include making sure that forces have the right resources to identify and disrupt suspects of rape and other serious sexual offences and changing funding arrangements to make sure there is enough support for all victims of these crimes.

Chief Constable Sarah Crew, Operation Soteria’s Senior Responsible Officer, welcomed the report saying: “I am pleased to see that this first HMICFRS report found Soteria to be a true ‘game-changer’ for policing.

“This highlights the reason why it is so important that in early adopter forces a positive cultural change in the way policing views these types of investigations is already taking place. In fact, within our own evidence gathering, we have seen more cases being referred to prosecutors and we are seeing more suspects being charged.

“For example, in the year ending December 2023, charges for sexual offences were up by 18 per cent compared to the previous year, while adult rape charges increased by 38 per cent in the same period.

“I also welcome their comments around the positive efforts of investigators, forces and those working at a national level in policing in England and Wales to put Operation Soteria and the NOM in place.

“We know that we are asking a lot of forces, as adopting the six-pillar way of working and the NOM do require transformational change at every level. This can often be impacted by the amount of resources available and this is again picked up in the report in terms of resource pressures and short-term funding arrangements being a major risk to the delivery of Soteria.

“As the report says, the system-wide benefits this programme offers are ‘a major opportunity for the criminal justice system to finally give victims the service they deserve’ and only by working together and making this a national model, not only for RASSO but even for other types of crime, can we achieve this.”

Ms Crew added: “It is important to note that we were at an early stage of implementation at the time of the inspection and, while the signs are positive and strong, we still have much to do to transform.

“Force problem profiles still need to be improved, Early Advice from CPS isn’t used consistently and we continue to have a shortage of RASSO trained detectives although we are offering increased support and advice for these challenges and the College of Policing are working to provide appropriate, timely, training to all involved in this area of policing. For example, we recently ensured 4,000 detectives were given specialist training – over double the target set by the Government at that time.”

Association of Police and Crime Commissioners joint leads for victims, Sophie Linden and Lisa Townsend, said: “We are pleased to see that the way police understand and support victims of RASSO is improving in those forces that have adopted Operation Soteria.

“Today’s report makes important recommendations that we will consider carefully as part of our oversight of policing on behalf of the public. It is vital that the progress made so far is embedded and built on nationwide, and as police and crime commissioners we continue to support and push for improvement in the policing and prosecution of these devastating crimes.”

Responding to the report, Andrea Simon, executive director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: “Nationwide failures in prosecuting rape have made it an imperative to transform the way police investigate sexual offences.

“Today’s report shows Operation Soteria has started to make a real difference to the way some police forces are handling rape cases, but this response has got to be turbocharged if we are to see the scale of transformation needed across the country. We welcome the inspector’s recognition of the need for culture change and a systems-based approach, and that Soteria’s ambition must be met with the resources it needs.

“The inspectorate has reinforced just how vital funding for specialist frontline women’s support services is, so that they can be there for victims during the justice process and beyond. Embedding progress and good practice requires the Government also resources the work of the Joint Soteria Unit beyond March 2025.

“This is a pivotal time for the roll-out of such promising work, but there is still a long way to go to address poor practices in rape investigations and we cannot risk complacency or thinking the job is done.

“We are clear that the reason Soteria has been particularly impactful has been because of the ongoing independent academic input, support and scrutiny of this work, which should continue to ensure we don’t have police forces effectively marking their own homework.

“Disappointingly, the report highlights a lack of progress in tackling repeat offenders, with one in four sexual offences involving a repeat suspect. In addition, in nearly every police force inspected, half of rape investigation teams aren’t fully qualified. Inexperienced and non-specialist officers should not be routinely investigating rape.

“We expect rapid improvements in the early identification of sexual offenders and proactive work to target repeat offenders to prevent further abuse.

“We also need to see the prioritisation of specialism in rape investigation, and greater consistency in the roll out of Soteria training for staff, to tackle rape myths, understand trauma, and help investigators reflect on their beliefs, behaviours and use of language.”

Ms Simon added: “Although the report acknowledges some improvements in communication with victims, it also highlights ongoing issues which are putting them at further risk – for example, inconsistent management of pre-charge bail breaches and ineffective use of protection orders.

“Victims also currently face court backlogs that means they are waiting many years for their case to reach trial, if it ever progresses that far, highlighting wider failings in the criminal justice system.

“Driving the implementation of Soteria and the new national model for investigating rape and sexual offences must be seen as vital work. Alongside its roll out, we need to see ongoing monitoring of how embedded the new model for investigating rape is becoming in police cultures and practices.

“This is long-term work – but it is absolutely critical that we do not lose momentum now.

“However, if the Government is serious about its pledge to halve VAWG in a decade, it must look beyond the criminal justice system alone and take a whole-society approach that focuses on preventing women and girls from becoming victims in the first place. This includes unpicking the attitudes and inequality that drive this violence, through sustained education and public campaigns geared towards preventing abuse.”