National change programme aimed at tackling rape and serious sexual offences implemented by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary

Today (10 July), Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary will be implementing the Operation Soteria Bluestone National Operating Model, a transformational change program tackling rape and serious sexual offences across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

It comes after the Home Secretary has announced that all 43 forces in England and Wales have signed up to Operation Soteria which will ensure that rape and serious sexual offence investigations are victim-centered, suspect-focused and context-led.

Launched in 2021 as part of the government’s end-to-end Rape Review Operation Soteria is a Home Office funded research and change programme, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

The collaborative programme, which initially bought together 19 police forces and academics to understand and tackle the challenges seen in rape and serious sexual offences investigations, will allow police officers to conduct suspect, rather than victim-focused, investigations and better support victims of these crimes.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, along with other forces, will also gain access to a bespoke hub which will include guidance on identifying and disrupting repeat offenders, support to improve decision making processes, assets to progress cases more effectively, enable forces to better meet the needs of victims, and ensure investigative focus shifts to the actions of the suspect.

As one of the expansion forces on Operation Soteria Bluestone, the force completed a review of their force approach in 2022 and an improvement plan is now in place. Since signing up to the change programme in October last year, the Constabulary has seen:

• A gradual increase in the number of solved Rape and other Sexual offences

• Closer co-operation with the Crown Prosecution Service to achieve greater procedural justice

• 500 investigators and supervisors begin to take part in a new investigative skills development programme.

Temporary Detective Superintendent David West, said: “As an Operation Soteria Bluestone expansion force, we have benefited from the support of partners, peers and academics over the past year to understand how we can and must improve our response to rape and other sexual offences.

“We have taken an open, honest and critical look at our organisational culture and the way we work, reflecting upon the voiced concerns of victim-survivors, the direction of academics and our wider partners across the Criminal Justice System.

“Transformational change is required to achieve the much needed and evidence improvements to this hugely challenging and complex area of crime.

“Our improvement plan has been developed over the last 6 months and commands the trust and confidence of our key partners, Yellow Door (Victim Advocacy), Treetops Sexual Assault Health Referral Centre (SARC) and the Crown Prosecution Service.

“Together we are committed to providing a timely, effective response to rape and other sexual offences, delivered by skilled, whole story informed sexual violence responders and investigators. Bringing more offenders to justice, improving public protection and increasing confidence amongst victim-survivors.

“We will do so by ensuring we are victim centered, suspect focused and context led through fair and balanced investigations.

“As a demonstration of our commitment to learn and improve, we continue to invite victim-survivors to take part in an anonymous survey to share their experience of police investigations and the criminal justice process”