The UK needs urgent, coordinated action to shift public attitudes, disrupt harm and create a culture that enables women to feel safer in public spaces, according to the Angiolini Inquiry’s second Report. Chaired by Lady Elish Angiolini KC, it was set up due to the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021 by an off-duty Metropolitan Police man. This latest, 235-page report covers sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces.
It points to a troubling lack of momentum, funding and ambition for prevention work in this area, as well as a lack of progress on previously accepted recommendations from the Inquiry’s Part 1 Report; about Sarah Everard’s murderer’s career and previous behaviour, published in February 2024. Although Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) was categorised as a ‘national threat’ in 2023 (requiring police forces to coordinate their response and resources to tackle such crimes in line with other national threats), the Inquiry found that a quarter, 26pc of police forces have yet to implement basic policies for investigating sexual offences, including indecent exposure. While the latest report calls for measures targeted at making spaces safer (such as better street lighting) and advising women on how to protect themselves (for instance, providing information on safe routes home), it says the prevention focus must be squarely on identifying and targeting the predatory men who commit these crimes.
Lady Elish Angiolini said: “My Reports sets out how sexually-motivated crimes against women remain widespread across public spaces in England and Wales, yet efforts to prevent them are fragmented, underfunded and overly reliant on short-term solutions. While measures such as improved lighting and safety advice are valuable, there is an urgent need to refocus on preventing predators from offending and stopping perpetrators from reoffending. The Government and police should demonstrate their commitment to women’s safety by fully supporting and funding the roll out of Project Vigilant and Operation Soteria, programmes specifically aimed at tackling these issues. This Report should mark a turning point. In the wake of tragic cases like Sarah Everard’s and many others, the need for change is pressing and the evidence is clear.”
For the Inquiry reports visit https://www.angiolini.independent-inquiry.uk/reports-2/. A further report, on police vetting, recruitment and culture, is expected next year.
Background
Project Vigilant is aimed at identifying and disrupting predatory men in the night-time economy before they offend; developed initially by Thames Valley Police, and featured by Professional Security Magazine in the June 2023 edition. Operation Soteria aims to improve the investigation and prosecution of rape through a perpetrator-focused, victim-centred approach, as developed initially by Avon and Somerset Police.
Comments
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap, Director of the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection (NCVPP), said: “We are told frequently by women and girls, and in this report, that they are likely to change their behaviour in order to feel safe. For too long this has been seen as inevitable. It is not, and we agree that our focus must be on the relentless pursuit of perpetrators and spotting patterns in offending. We are already working proactively to recognise, intervene, and interrupt predatory behaviour in public spaces, and are pleased the report acknowledges this work.”
And for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, APCC Joint Leads for Victims, Clare Moody (PCC for Avon and Somerset) and Matthew Scott (PCC for Kent) called VAWG a society-wide issue and urged ‘cross-sector collaboration and innovation’. They said: “Whilst there is good work being done in areas of policing in England and Wales, and existing strategies, processes and governance structures provide a solid framework for delivering effective preventative activity, we are not seeing that translate into victims’ confidence to report crimes to the police. That is a major concern. It is clear much more needs to be done for victims to feel they will be taken seriously by the police and their complaints acted upon. This includes paying much more attention to the experience of victims in their first contact with the police.”
