Rape Investigation and Prosecution – Jo Farrell, Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary

In the latest edition of our Guest Blogs, Jo Farrell, Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary, talks about sexual violence offences, and the need for the system to do more to deliver for survivors.

Over the last year, the criminal justice system in general and policing in particular have rightly come under intense scrutiny over the investigation and prosecution of rape.

Durham has the highest charging rate for rape investigations of any of the 43 police forces in England and Wales.

In the 12 months to September 2021, 64 rapes resulted in a charge in the force area, meaning there was a charge in 9.7 per cent of all reported rape offences, compared to the national average of 4.8 per cent.

Behind those figures lies a lot of hard work by dedicated officers, but we always strive to do even better.

Durham has an all-pervading culture of prioritising high-harm crime and everyone from the call handler who takes the initial contact to the investigating officer in the case understands that.

We have developed and maintained a very close working relationship with our colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) so there is early contact between the two organisations, which leads to good case management and speedier justice for survivors.

We have put extra resources into our safeguarding teams and placed a strong emphasis on good victim care and we regularly monitor the quality of our investigations to identify potential areas of improvement.

But the entire criminal justice system needs to do more if we are to deliver the results that survivors deserve. To do that, everyone involved in the investigation and prosecution of rape needs to take a long and serious look at our own practices, learn from our collective mistakes and commit to making change when it is necessary.

Late last year, Durham Crown Court became the first in the North-East to pilot the Remote Evidence Link system, following the Government’s Rape Review, which will spare survivors of sexual offences the worry of cross-examination in court and transform the way rape cases are prosecuted.

Survivors will have their cross-examination video pre-recorded and played later during the trial. Recording will take place as close as possible to the time of the offence to help memory recall and reduce the stress of waiting to give evidence in the courtroom, which many find traumatic.

The measure allows survivors to give evidence and be cross examined in advance of any trial, so consequently they do not have to attend court unless they choose to. For a lot of survivors and witnesses, giving evidence in court is a traumatic experience – this measure should reduce that stress and help victims begin the long process of moving on with their lives.

Preparatory work has also begun in the last few weeks on Project Soteria, a radical research project which aims to transform the policing and prosecution of sexual offences.

Under Soteria, police professionals will work alongside prominent academics to better understand suspects’ behaviour, scrutinise investigative decision-making and ensure all reasonable lines of inquiry are explored.

The project, which was first trialled in Avon and Somerset, aims to tighten the grip on offenders and improve conviction rates by developing five workstreams:

Suspect-focused investigations
Challenging and disrupting repeat offenders
Victim engagement
Learning development and wellbeing
Review of data and performance

Most importantly, it aims to improve survivors’ experiences within the criminal justice system, with investigators working closely with Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (such as those in the service offered by RSACC), who provide specialist tailored support to victims of sexual violence.

Rape and other sexual offences are among the most harrowing crimes that we as police officers investigate and that’s why tackling high-harm offences, including rape, is a top priority for Durham Constabulary.

We know there is a long way to go in addressing some of the issues around the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences, but any measure which makes that process easier for survivors and increases the number of rapists that we convict and ultimately jail is a very welcome step in the right direction.