A major public inquiry has exposed a "critical failure" in the ability of authorities to answer fundamental questions about sexual violence against women, including how many are raped by strangers each year.
Data Gaps Hamper Prevention Efforts
The latest report from the Angiolini Inquiry, established after the murder of Sarah Everard, found that data on sex crimes in public places is "difficult to obtain, patchy and incomplete." Lady Elish Angiolini, who leads the inquiry, stated that this gap in knowledge fundamentally impacts the assessment of current prevention measures.
She revealed that no one could confidently state how many women nationally report being victims of sexually motivated crimes in public. Consequently, basic questions remain unanswered, such as: how many women were raped by strangers in public spaces in England and Wales last year? Data on sexual assault and indecent exposure is also severely limited.
"If this data is not being gathered and recorded consistently across forces, how can it be analysed to spot patterns in offending? This is a critical failure," Lady Angiolini told journalists.
Perpetrators Slipping Through the Cracks
The report warns that too many offenders are evading justice within an overstretched and underfunded system encompassing police, prison, and probation services. Lady Angiolini criticised the focus on changing women's behaviour instead of stopping perpetrators, noting that information on offenders is "limited and disjointed."
Despite violence against women and girls being classed as a national threat, the inquiry found that effective national action on prevention is lacking. "Too often prevention in this space remains just words," she said, adding that until this disparity is addressed, the issue cannot credibly be called a national priority.
The lack of robust data also makes it difficult to secure funding for prevention schemes, as their success cannot be proven. The report further highlighted an "unacceptable level of inconsistency" in responses across England and Wales.
Legacy of Sarah Everard's Murder
The inquiry was launched following the March 2021 abduction, rape, and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens. Couzens used his warrant card to falsely arrest Ms Everard for breaching lockdown rules as she walked home in south London.
An earlier phase of the inquiry found Couzens should never have been a police officer, with repeated chances to stop the sexual predator being missed. Lady Angiolini warned that without a radical overhaul of policing practices and culture, there is "nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight."
It was revealed Couzens had indecently exposed himself three times before the murder and was part of a WhatsApp group sharing misogynistic and racist material with other officers. He is now serving a whole-life order.
In response to the inquiry's initial findings, then-Home Secretary James Cleverly announced that any officer charged with the most serious offences would be automatically suspended. Police reforms are ongoing, including new rules to automatically sack officers guilty of gross misconduct.
Part two of the Angiolini Inquiry, examining risks of repeated failures, is expected next year. A third phase will consider the crimes of serial rapist and former Met officer David Carrick, who was handed 36 life sentences in 2023 and received another life sentence earlier this month for further offences.
