One in 45 rape offences led to a charge in Thames Valley

Rape Crisis England and Wales said increased charging rates and access to specialist sexual violence support is vital, as recent data shows rape offences took police forces the longest time to investigate and charge.

Home Office figures show there were 2,318 rape offences recorded by Thames Valley Police in the year to March.

Of them, 50 resulted in a charge or summons, accounting for just 2.2 per cent.

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Meanwhile, the police force had an average charge and summons rate of 5.6 per cent across all offences.

Across England and Wales, 2.6 per cent of rape offences led to a charge or summons, while the overall charge rate for all recorded offences was 6.4 per cent.

Ciara Bergman, chief executive of Rape Crisis, said: "This data reflects what we already know: the criminal justice system must do better for victims and survivors.

"Those survivors who take the brave steps to report rape and sexual assault do so with the expectation that there will be accountability for the perpetrator.

"That just 2.6 per cent of adult rape investigations result in a charge or summons is unacceptable."

Khaliz Alshimery, 46, was found guilty of rape at St Clement's churchyard in November (Image: NQ) She added: "With so many survivors being denied their opportunity to seek criminal justice, it's clear that the system isn't working.

"But we need more than a level of commitment; we need to see drastic improvements."

The Home Office said rape offences that led to a charge or court summons took the longest time to investigate, at an average of 423 days. 

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This is compared with 55 days for violence against the person offences and 28 days for theft offences.

Of the rape offences recorded in Thames Valley, 33.8 per cent were not assigned an outcome as of March, meaning they were still under investigation.

Meanwhile, 40.9 per cent were closed due to evidential difficulties where the suspect was identified, but the victim did not support further action.

Ms Bergman added: "Increasing charging rates is vitally important, but so too is access to specialist sexual violence support.

"All survivors, whether they choose to report or not, deserve specialist support to understand the profound impacts of trauma and re-establish life after sexual violence and abuse."

She said demand for these services has reached "unprecedented levels" in recent years with 14,000 people currently on Rape Crisis waiting lists.

She added long-term, sustainable funding for specialist sexual violence support and advocacy services is urgently needed.

Separate figures from The Crown Prosecution Service show 3,847 suspects were charged in all rape cases referred for a charging decision in 2023-24, a 28 per cent increase on the year before.

The CPS said it consistently charges around seven out of 10 rape or serious sexual offence cases referred by police for a charging decision.

A government spokesperson said: "In far too many cases, rape victims aren’t getting the justice they deserve. It is important that police and prosecutors work together in a timely way to build the strongest possible case.

"We have committed to fast-tracking rape cases and are carefully considering the best way to do this.

"We are working with the judiciary and will announce the next steps in due course."

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About the author

Rob is a digital reporter who covers a wide range of topics.

He joined the Oxford Mail in February 2023 having previously been at sister paper The Bucks Free Press for two years. 

Rob completed a Sports Journalism degree before earning his NCTJ Diploma at Darlington College and can be found on X at @RobertFolker.