An overhaul of rape investigations in England and Wales is at risk due to a lack of awareness in courtrooms, according to the government's independent adviser on rape, Professor Katrin Hohl. She warned that judges and barristers have not heard of Operation Soteria, the new approach focusing on suspect behaviour rather than victim history.
Operation Soteria, launched in 2021, has significantly increased the number of rape charges by the Crown Prosecution Service. However, Hohl said progress could stall if the conviction rate drops because cases are failing in court due to outdated practices. The conviction rate for adult rape has slightly decreased, which experts attribute to more complex cases being charged.
Hohl expressed concern that if courts do not adapt, police and prosecutors might revert to old methods. She noted anecdotal evidence of officers encountering judges and barristers unfamiliar with Soteria. The number of rape victims withdrawing from prosecutions more than doubled between 2019 and 2024.
Justice Secretary David Lammy has launched a review of how courts handle rape cases and promised independent legal advice for victims from later this year, backed by £6 million in funding. New laws ban evidence of victims' past sexual history, and police are restricted from accessing counselling notes.
Nogah Ofer of the Centre for Women's Justice said trials have been hampered by a lack of understanding of the new approach. In one case, a defence barrister criticised police for not requesting personal records, undermining the prosecution. Hohl said a London pilot will examine whether Soteria principles are followed in court.
