A super-complaint has been filed against police forces in England and Wales over years-long delays in investigating sexual offences. Campaign groups say prolonged inquiries are retraumatising survivors.
More than 37,000 sexual offence investigations have taken longer than three years to conclude over the past decade, according to campaigners. Cases taking more than three years have increased more than sevenfold, from 533 in 2014-15 to 4,008 in 2024-25. At the end of March 2025, nearly 14,000 investigations had been open for more than three years.
The complaint, submitted by Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre, the Centre for Women's Justice, Rape Crisis England & Wales and Bindmans LLP, accuses police of routine de-prioritisation of sexual offence cases, poor collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service, and staffing and resourcing issues.
One survivor who reported childhood sexual abuse in December 2014 said the alleged perpetrator was not charged until 2021 and a trial date was postponed, leading her to withdraw from the case. She described the process as 'inhumane' and said she felt let down by the police.
The organisations have called for an audit by all forces to establish how many survivors' cases are stuck in the system. They warn that excessive delays may breach the UK's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
