Operation Soteria shifts rape investigations, but progress falters once cases reach court

Operation Soteria has helped drive a cultural shift in how police and prosecutors in England and Wales handle rape and serious sexual offence cases, embedding a suspect-focused, victim-centred approach that has coincided with the number of rape suspects charged reaching its highest level since records began. Yet a new pilot study led by Professor Katrin Hohl OBE at City St George’s, University of London finds that this progress risks stalling once cases cross into the court system, where researchers identified a sharp drop-off in strategic focus, resourcing, training, oversight and accountability after a suspect is charged.

The report, titled ‘End-to-end’ Soteria pilot study: Findings and recommendations and commissioned by the Ministry of Justice, is the first to examine whether and how Operation Soteria’s principles are being applied beyond the point of charge and into the later stages of the criminal justice process. Published on 14 October 2026, the study examined 25 charged rape and serious sexual offence cases and drew on interviews with police officers, Crown Prosecution Service lawyers, barristers and senior criminal justice stakeholders. The researchers also tested Soteria training for barristers and barrister-led courtroom training for police officers.

Operation Soteria’s core principle is to refocus investigations away from scrutinising victims’ credibility and towards the actions of the perpetrator. The study found evidence that this suspect-focused, context-led approach has become embedded within policing and the Crown Prosecution Service, contributing to changes in the handling of rape cases. However, while the programme has established strong performance management and improvement mechanisms before charge, the researchers found comparatively little strategic attention devoted to what happens after cases move towards trial, describing a significant post-charge “cliff edge”.

Practitioners held differing views on whether Soteria has reached the courtroom. Some interviewees felt its impact had yet to be fully realised, while others suggested it is influencing court proceedings “by stealth” through changes in prosecution strategy and decision-making. The researchers also identified considerable variation in attitudes, approaches and practices between individual practitioners, contributing to inconsistency across the criminal justice system.

Professor Hohl said: “Operation Soteria has contributed to a cultural shift in the police and CPS approach to rape cases, and the number of rape suspects charged is now the highest since records began. But not everyone in the justice system thinks that Soteria is a good idea. Some feel that the police and CPS have gone too far in centring victims’ rights and needs, but know little about what Soteria actually entails.” She added: “We also find a post-charge ‘cliff edge’ in strategic focus, resourcing, training and oversight. Policing and the CPS must improve trial preparation and not let efforts drop off once a suspect is charged, but the critical next step is to engage barristers and the judiciary in a whole-system approach.”

Claire Waxman OBE, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, welcomed the shift towards a more suspect-focused approach but said she remains concerned that progress is not being sustained once cases enter the court system. “This creates a significant cliff edge in the justice process. While improvements in policing and prosecution are encouraging, victims are still paying the price for outdated myths and stereotypes,” she said, calling for a genuinely whole-system approach that carries Soteria’s principles through every stage of the justice process, including the courts. She said the newly announced multi-agency rape and serious sexual offences Taskforce will be critical in driving this system-wide change, and that its success should be measured by whether victims experience a justice system that is swifter, fairer and more responsive from report through to resolution.

Chief Constable Sarah Crew, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Adult Sexual Offences, noted that the first generation of Operation Soteria cases are now reaching the courts in greater numbers, presenting both an important opportunity and a challenge. “The progress made through investigation and charging must now be matched by a shared understanding of Operation Soteria’s principles throughout the wider criminal justice system,” she said.

The report sets out 11 recommendations to strengthen the end-to-end response to rape and serious sexual offences. These include the development of a post-charge Soteria strategy, improved trial preparation, stronger learning and feedback mechanisms, and greater engagement with barristers and the judiciary. The findings also feature in the Leveson Review, an independent review of the criminal courts in England and Wales commissioned by the Government to address a Crown Court backlog of nearly 80,000 cases, which published its recommendations in October and called for the implementation of Operation Soteria best practice principles from report to conviction.

Subject of Research: Application of Operation Soteria's victim-centred rape investigation principles across the criminal justice process in England and Wales

Article Title: Operation Soteria driving cultural change in police investigations into rape, but progress stalls as cases reach court

Article References: Operation Soteria driving cultural change in police investigations into rape, but progress stalls as cases reach court. Original publication (Bibliographic details unavailable.)

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Keywords: Operation Soteria, rape investigations, criminal justice, Crown Prosecution Service, victim-centred, post-charge cliff edge, Leveson Review, barristers, England and Wales, Ministry of Justice, Victims' Commissioner, case backlog