Increase in charging rates as all Durham detectives undergo specialist sexual offence training

Every detective at Durham Constabulary has undergone specialist training in a transformative new approach to investigating sexual offences which has led to a significant increase in charging rates.

More than 300 of our investigators of all ranks have received expert training led by Dr Patrick Tidmarsh, a world-leading authority in sexual offending.

As part of Operation Soteria, officers have also increased the number of early consultations with colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service, resulting in better case management and a higher proportion of charges.

The new approach has led to a significant improvement in Durham Constabulary's charge rates for rape and serious sexual assaults, which have consistently been the highest in England and Wales over the past two years.

Between August 2022 and July last year, 87 more charges for rape and serious sexual assaults were secured by Durham Constabulary officers compared with the 12 months before – an increase of 67%. The number of charges for domestic related serious sexual abuse more than doubled, increasing from 24 charges to 55 in the same timeframe.

Operation Soteria is a transformative new approach to rape investigations and prosecutions, which improves support for victims and puts offenders and their behaviour under deeper scrutiny.

It brings police forces and prosecutors together with academics to use evidence and new insight to enable forces to transform their response to rape and sexual offences.

Today (Thursday, May 16), Home Secretary James Cleverly visited Durham to discover more about the force’s work on Operation Soteria and how it is helping victims and survivors.

The Home Secretary, James Cleverly said: “Exceeding the target we set last year for specially trained officers is another significant milestone in our efforts to transform the way the criminal justice system deals with rape and sexual offences.

“I have witnessed first-hand in Durham the in-depth, specialised training being delivered.

“We are already seeing significant increases in arrests, police referrals, charges and prosecutions under this new approach. We still have further to go but progress is underway.” 

Durham was one of four pathfinder forces to take part in a two-year trial of Operation Soteria beginning in January 2022. During the trial, leading academics worked with officers to develop a new National Operating Model, which has now been implemented in all 44 police forces in England and Wales.

Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ashton, from Durham Constabulary, said: “Rape and serious sexual assaults are some of the most complex and challenging crimes we deal with, and we understand that behind each one of these statistics, there is a victim who has suffered. We are determined to provide the very best possible service for victims and survivors of these dreadful offences.

“We recognise that charging and conviction rates are too low, and victims and survivors are too often being let down by the criminal justice process.

“Operation Soteria has allowed us to take an open and honest look at the way we work within our own organisation, and how we work with our partner agencies, to improve our investigation of sexual offences.

“This has enabled us to build on our already positive performance, secure more charges against offenders, and get the justice that victims want and deserve.”

Gale Gilchrist, Chief Crown Prosecutor in the North East, said: “Operation Soteria has driven positive changes in how we work with police from the earliest opportunity on rape cases. With closer relationships and clear expectations, we’re able to build strong cases from the outset, working together to make a lasting difference for victims.

“The impact of this joint working can be seen in our work with Durham Police and in our data, as our prosecutors have consistently seen an increase in the number of cases they are able to charge and send to court.

“We are clear that more work needs to be done to ensure more victims see justice done, and will do all we can to keep driving the necessary improvements with police.”