Rape update

Report: 8
Date: 10 April 2008
By: AC Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report provides members with a summary of the MPS performance on rape investigations in London during the period of April 2007 to January 2008. The report details the progress of work within The Havens.

Information is provided in relation to work with the London Criminal Justice Board and developments in this area.

A. Recommendation

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. During 2007/2008, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has continued to demonstrate the service commitment to improving victim care and the investigation of rape, through the work of Sapphire Teams and The Havens - Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs).

The Havens

2. The Havens SARCs continue to provide the highest level of victim care and forensic examination. Whilst the Havens are developing a number of new initiatives, the primary focus for the Havens is to maintain a consistent service for all clients. Good practice and the maintenance of standards are co-ordinated across all three sites through the Haven Clinical and Training Group. This group also ensures that staff are provided with update training.

3. Persons under the age of 18 years are a particularly vulnerable group in the area of sexual offences. This is an area where the Havens have made significant progress. In order to ensure that the needs of this group are met, there have been two new appointments. Dr Nick Lessof, Consultant Paediatrician, has been appointed as the lead paediatrician for the Haven Whitechapel. Dr Andrea Goddard, Consultant Paediatrician, has taken on the role of Pan London Paediatric Lead. The Havens continue to provide training courses for paediatric acute sexual assault examination and aftercare.

4. In September 2007, the Havens were awarded a Home Office grant to publish a booklet on the effects of sexual assault on young people aged 13 to 16 years old. The book has been completed by Haven staff in consultation with the MPS. There has also been consultation with Year 9 students and Haven clients. The booklet will be published in April 2008 and will be available on the Home Office website.

London Criminal Justice Board – Rape Convictions Working Group

5. The Rape Convictions Working Group was set up in July 2006 to examine issues around the convictions rate for rape cases in London and to identify areas for improvement to the service provided to victims of rape at each stage of the criminal justice process. The group, chaired by Mr Richard Sumray of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), has brought together key statutory partners and Non Government Organisations (NGOs). The group has made a number of recommendations, with reference to national targets and recommendations of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) ‘Without Consent’ review.

6. The working group’s position is that it will now:

• Prioritise the recommendations with Criminal Justice bodies and partners;
• Review the Criminal Justice Service (CJS) performance against the recommendations;
• Monitor developments and compliance against the recommendations;
• Work with the Home Office Rape Performance Group to develop and facilitate the new basket of measures aimed at improving performance across the whole CJS (to be introduced to local criminal justice boards in the next financial year); and
• Ensure that its work is aligned with the findings of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)/Police Standards Unit (PSU) stock take and visits.

7. The group is currently examining methods of measuring performance across the criminal justice process. The group has been monitoring the developments in improving police/Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) partnership on case building. On 3 March 2008, the London Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) hosted a Rape Practitioners Seminar in Central London. Attendees came from all criminal justice agencies across London. The MPS and The Havens provided valuable input on forensic examination and victim care. The day also included workshops addressing the needs of vulnerable groups.

MPS Rape Data April 2007 – January 2008

8. The data provided is based on all reported rapes recorded between April 2007 and January 2008. It is based on offences investigated by Borough Sapphire Teams and SCD5 Child Abuse Investigation Teams (CAIT). There were 1528 offences classified as rape. This was a 20.6% (398 offences) decrease in the number of rape offences recorded during the same period for the previous year. The most notable decreases have been in Bexley (-48%, 14 offences), Camden (-47%, 29 offences) and Ealing (-45%, 22 offences).

9. Six boroughs have seen a rise in the number of offences reported during this ten-month period in comparison with the respective period of 2006/7. The largest increase was at Merton (24%, seven offences). Rises across the other boroughs do not significantly affect the overall number of offences in the MPS.

10. There has been a 17.2% decrease in allegations of rape during this period. There were 2250 allegations of rape recorded between April 2007 and January 2008, compared to 2718 in the same period for 2006/7. There has been a rise in the combined No Crime/Crime Related Incident (CRI) rate from 30% in 2006/7 to 32% in 2007/8. The central Sapphire Project Team audits all allegations of rape recorded as a No Crime or a CRI. It has now been decided that all allegations of rape and serious sexual assaults will be classified as such, and the use of CRIs will cease. A classification of ‘No Crime’ is only used when there is additional verifiable information that determines that no notifiable offence has been committed.

11. The issue of initial recording standards (identified in the October 2007 PPRC report) was raised with all Borough Commanders, at Crime Control Strategy Meetings (CCSM) in September 2007. A member of the MPA was present for these meetings. All Boroughs have been checked for compliance and there has been limited impact on overall performance. The early identification of this issue, by the central Sapphire team, has reinforced focus on quality investigations and victim care being the priorities for rape investigations in London.

12. The corporate sanction detection target for rape is 32%. The sanction detection rate for this period was 34%. There is a wide range of variance of sanction detections across the London Boroughs. Some Boroughs have recorded rates as low as 17% (Merton and Hillingdon) where others exceed 50% (Bexley, Camden and Haringey). All Boroughs with a detection rate under 25% have implemented an action plan to address performance. As a result, performance has risen across all of these Boroughs. The Central Sapphire Team has visited Boroughs where detection rates are high, to identify ‘good practice’. All of these Boroughs have effective leadership and a strong ‘case building’ ethos, demonstrating good working relationships with the CPS.

13. Domestic rape accounted for 26% of all rape offences (400 out of 1528). This percentage was calculated on the offences where the ‘relationship’ was recorded on the crime report and indicated an intimate relationship e.g. Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Husband/Wife (including ex-partners). This represents a one percent increase in domestic rapes on the same period in 2007.

Training

14. The MPS continues to improve the training for all staff involved in the investigation process. In February 2008, a training event was held for Sapphire officers, on the role of the defence solicitor in the police station. This event was used to focus the officers on interview strategies and the use of ‘Bad Character’ evidence.

15. The Sexual Offences Investigative Techniques (SOIT) course has been extended from three to four weeks. This will allow new SOIT officers to develop interviewing skills in a safe environment. This is an important area, as the law now allows video interviews of victims to be used as evidence in chief at trials.

Mental health & learning difficulties

16. The MPS Rape Review of 2005 evidenced that a significant number of victims have mental health problems or learning difficulties. This is an area where the MPS and The Havens are sensitive to the needs of victims. The MPS Sapphire Specialist Advisory Group (SAG) includes members of Non Government Organisations (NGOs) that specialise in this area. The skills of the Sapphire SAG have been used to discuss case studies of challenging rape investigations. Investigating Officers have found the constructive advice of the SAG invaluable. SOIT Officers and Sapphire Investigators have also undertaken awareness training, to understand the needs of vulnerable groups in this area. The London Criminal Justice Board training addressed this area of work on the practitioners’ seminar. The Havens are currently reviewing the service offered to clients with vulnerabilities.

Alcohol/Drugs

17. The use of alcohol and other drugs are significant factors in the investigation of rape. The capture of early evidence is particularly relevant in this area. All front line staff are trained in the use of Early Evidence Kits (EEK), originally developed in the MPS. Sapphire investigators have been provided with training on the effects of drugs and methods of analysis. In the case of R v H 2007, the intoxication of the victim and consent was in issue. The prosecution team successfully appealed a judge’s direction to a jury to acquit the defendant. This case is now cited in the training of judges in the area of capacity and consent.

18. The new Chair of the Sapphire SAG, Denise Marshall, has conducted a review of members’ skills. As a result, new members have been recruited to the group. This now includes a member with professional knowledge in this area. This group continues to provide valuable practical advice to the MPS.

19. The MPS are currently conducting an investigation into a series of Drugs Facilitated Sexual Assaults (DFSA). The meetings dealing with the strategic aspects of the investigation, including media appeals, have received valuable support and advice from the Sapphire SAG, from an early stage. This investigation is now sub judice.

Cold Case Investigations

20. The Sapphire Cold Case Investigation Team continues to lead national performance in the investigation of unsolved ‘historic’ rapes and serious sexual assaults. In a press release of 2007, Home Office Operation Advance (National Response to Cold Case Sexual Offences) highlighted the project as having gained 30 convictions from 11,000 forensic reviews. The MPS Sapphire Team has reviewed over 900 cases and has secured over 40 convictions. The team is currently conducting a systematic forensic review of cases from the late 1980s forwards. The team also investigates new ‘hits’ on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) for serious sexual offences reported over five years ago. At a national level, the investigation of Cold Cases is focused on DNA evidence. In the MPS, the Sapphire Cold Case Team works with the SCD4 Sexual Offences Fingerprint Team, to maximize all forensic opportunities. This mirrors the daily work of the fingerprint team with Borough Sapphire Teams.

21. At the end of 2007 the Cold Case Team, together with the CPS and Forensic Science Service (FSS) were awarded the Partnership Award at the National Justice Awards. The team currently has an 84% conviction rate.

Abbreviations and Acronyms:

ACPO

Association of Chief Police Officers

CAIT

Child Abuse Investigation Team

CCSM

Crime Control Strategy Meeting

CJS

Criminal Justice Service

CPS

Crown Prosecution Service

CRI

Crime Related Incident

DAT

Data Accuracy Team

DFSA

 Drugs Facilitated Sexual Assault

EEK

Early Evidence Kits

FSS

Forensic Science Service

HMIC

 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary

LCJB

 London Criminal Justice Board

NDNAD

 National DNA Database

NGOs

Non Government Organisations

PSU

Police Standards Unit

SAG

Specialist Advisory Group

SARCS

Sexual Assault Referral Centres

SM&PD

Strategy, Modernisation and Performance Directorate

SOIT

Sexual Offences Investigative Techniques

VCD

Violent Crime Directorate

C. Race and equality impact

1. The MPS is cognisant of any adverse impact or disproportionality that may occur as a result of the delivery of its services. In doing so, the MPS fully embraces the need to engage with, and consult with communities and their informed representatives.

2. The Cross Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse of April 2007 recognises the gender inequality experienced through the commission of such crimes e.g. most perpetrators are men and most victims are women.

3. In addition, the MPS Rape review highlights other vulnerabilities whereby women from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and women who have mental health problems and/or learning disabilities are disproportionately represented in the rape victim category. The MPS recognises that we must gain a better understanding of compound discrimination issues affecting BME women and how we shape our services to meet such needs.

4. Equality impact assessments are being developed for the Rape strand within the MPS Serious Violence Strategy and associated Standard Operating Procedures.

5. The MPS is currently working side-by-side with the Sapphire Special Advisory Group on how best to improve the MPS service delivery across the equalities strands, particularly those where victims are disproportionately represented.

6. The MPS is currently developing an Equalities Scheme, which seeks to eliminate discrimination together with the promotion of equality of opportunity and good relations between different groups, positive attitudes towards others and the participation of all in public life.

D. Financial implications

The cost of The Havens is paid by the MPS in a 50/50 partnership with the NHS in London. The cost to the MPS for the financial year 2007/8 is £2.09 Million.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Mark Yexley, Detective Chief Inspector TP Violent Crime Directorate Sapphire, MPS

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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