Published: ‘End-to-end’ Soteria pilot study report

Operation Soteria has contributed to a cultural shift in how the police and CPS approach rape cases, and the number of rape suspects charged is now the highest since records began.

But not everyone in the justice system supports Soteria. Some feel the police and CPS have gone too far in centring victims’ rights and needs, yet know little about what Soteria actually involves.

We also found a post-charge ‘cliff edge’ in strategic focus, resourcing, training and oversight. Policing and the CPS must improve trial preparation and keep up their efforts after charge, but the critical next step is to bring barristers and the judiciary into a whole-system approach.

Researchers from the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research (ICPR) at Birkbeck examined digital evidence, which remains one of the sharpest points of friction after charge. In line with current legislation, CPS lawyers and officers now routinely resist disproportionate defence requests for victims’ phone downloads and third-party material. However, a minority of CPS interviewees felt officers had gone too far the other way, leaving evidential gaps that defence counsel could exploit. At court, incomplete victim downloads were sometimes used to question victims’ credibility. Digital training remains inadequate, and heavy CPS caseloads reduce take-up, often leaving the digital strategy to officers who have had little guidance themselves. Without a case conference involving all parties, weaknesses in the digital evidence are sometimes only addressed once the trial has started.

Our report sets out 11 recommendations 👇

We thank the Ministry of Justice UK for funding the research, and the Metropolitan Police, CPS London and barristers for taking part.

With Katrin Hohl Olivia Smith, Cassandra Wiener, Patrick Tidmarsh, PhD, Samantha Atkinson

The report is here: https://lnkd.in/eiqNnwN5