Damning report said 26% of police forces had still not implemented specialist policies on investigating sexual offences. We asked which police forces, and when they will address this…
Last week, the Angiolini inquiry into the police handling of the murder of Sarah Everard published part of its report. ‘Women failed as police delay vital sexual offence reforms,’ we concluded.
Photo by Ethan Wilkinson / Unsplash
This was in response to the continuing failure by some police forces to implement specialist policies on investigating sexual offences, including so-called ‘non-contact’ offences such as indecent exposure.
That was especially concerning because it had been the very first recommendation of Part I of the report. It said that such policies should be implemented, ‘at the earliest opportunity, and by September 2024 at the latest.’
The Part 2 report includes an admission from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) that, as of September 2025 – a whole year after the deadline – “26 per cent of police forces had not yet implemented” such policies (see paragraph 1.10 on page 23 of The Angiolini Inquiry – Part 2 First Report: Prevention of sexually motivated crimes against women in public).
Now, the report also says that “for the vast majority of the remaining forces … activity to review existing policies [is taking place] to determine whether they are sufficient, or [they are] consulting on new policies to align with the College of Policing’s guidance.” So where exactly do things stand?
We asked the NPCC how many police forces comprised this 26%, which forces they are and how soon they will implement such policies. An NPCC spokesperson told us that the figure comprised six police forces – but that two of them had since implemented policies and the rest were due to follow shortly.
Indeed, when we contacted one of the remaining four forces – Greater Manchester Police – they told us they have now published their policy. That leaves us with three forces: Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Cleveland.
Detective Superintendent Reme Humphris, Leicestershire Police’s lead for tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, told us: ‘Leicestershire Police fully supports the recommendations outlined in the Angiolini inquiry report. The force has recently reviewed and updated our rape and serious sexual assault policy to now include non-contact sexual offences – this includes incidents of indecent exposure.’
Detective Superintendent Charlie Naughton at Warwickshire Police says: ‘We take several steps to make sure we provide the best possible service to all victims, women, girls and our communities in Warwickshire. Our system for assigning cases looks at each sexual offence – including non-contact offences like indecent exposure. We investigate based on the type of offence and any signs that it could lead to more serious behaviour. We also make sure the officers handling the case have the right skills for the investigation.
‘Following the publication of Part 2 of the Angiolini Inquiry, we will be reviewing the findings as a force and considering how we can implement any relevant recommendations to make sure we continue providing the best possible service.’
A spokesperson for Cleveland Police told us: ‘Cleveland Police currently has strict force guidance in place with regards to reports of indecent exposure. This guidance is currently being developed into formal policy, and this forms part of the wider work we are carrying out to tackle violence against women and girls.
‘We ensure that each report is fully reviewed at the rank of Detective Inspector and comprehensive checks of all reported offences are undertaken to establish any link to a known sex offender. There are regular audits carried out to ensure that these investigations are progressed thoroughly and expeditiously. It is our priority to protect people, and we will do everything in our power to safeguard women and girls from harm.’
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