Mental health of rape victims in England and Wales damaged by ‘what police did or failed to do’: Report

Following the case of Gisele Pelicot, who was raped by her ex-husband and 50 men in France, rape victims in England and Wales echoed Pelicot’s message that ‘shame belongs to the perpetrators, not them’ in the largest ever survey of rape and sexual assault, according to the Government’s chief crime adviser number of survivors.

Three-quarters of respondents to the survey of rape and sexual assault survivors said their mental health had been damaged “as a direct result of what the police did or failed to do in their cases.”

Moreover, researchers noted that only one in 10 people said they would report again.

But how the criminal justice system has dealt with rape since 2021 shows the first “green shoots” of improving victims’ experiences in the criminal justice system.

After July last year, 8 percent of those surveyed reported that their mental health was damaged by the police.

Meanwhile, only two out of five respondents agreed policing was going well.

Watch | France: Gisele Pelicot Told Her Sad Story in Court

Only one in five said they were pressured by police officers to drop the case, with black and minority ethnic survivors having worse experiences than white participants.

In December 2023, sexual offense charges increased by 18 percent compared to the previous year, while adult rape charges increased by 38 percent in the same period.

“Some victims now receive better service, but not all,” said Katrin Hohl, the lead rape investigator and the government’s independent adviser.

“There are green shoots, but it is clear that there is a long way to go. “This is the first clear indication that Operation Soteria is the right model to support,” he added.

(With input from institutions)