Campaign groups have filed a rare super-complaint against police forces in England and Wales, alleging that years-long delays in investigating sexual offences are leaving survivors retraumatised and breaching their human rights.
The complaint, submitted by Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre, the Centre for Women’s Justice, Rape Crisis England & Wales and law firm Bindmans LLP, says more than 37,000 sexual offence investigations have taken over three years to conclude in the past decade. Over half of these dragged on for more than four years, with some survivors waiting up to nine years for an outcome or charging decision.
Figures obtained via freedom of information requests show a sevenfold rise in such delays, from 533 investigations exceeding three years in 2014-15 to 4,008 in 2024-25. As of March 2025, nearly 14,000 investigations had been open for more than three years. The groups argue that excessive delays may violate the UK’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The super-complaint highlights the case of a woman who reported childhood sexual abuse in December 2014. The suspect was arrested and bailed, but not charged until 2021. A 2022 trial was postponed due to the barristers' strike and re-listed for 2023, but she withdrew from the case, saying the nine-year ordeal was “truly inhumane”.
In a survey of survivors involved in delayed cases, more than two-thirds said they were unsure whether they would report to police again. The groups have called for an audit by all forces to identify how many cases are effectively stuck in the system, and warn that police may be legally liable for failing to progress investigations.
