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Inquiry finds sex offences against women not treated with same response as other high-priority crimes

2 December 2025219 views0

The second report from the Angiolini Inquiry has identified a “troubling lack of momentum and ambition” in efforts to prevent sexually motivated attacks on women in public spaces, outlining 13 new recommendations for government and policing bodies.

The inquiry, established following the 2021 rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, found that key reforms proposed in its earlier Part 1 report remain unimplemented. This includes a recommendation to bar individuals with convictions or cautions for sexual offences from joining the police. The Home Office confirmed this measure will not be addressed until next year.

According to data reviewed by the inquiry, 76% of women aged 18 to 24 reported feeling unsafe in public due to the actions or behaviour of men. The report also found that 26% of police forces do not have basic policies for investigating sexual offences, including indecent exposure.

Publishing the findings, inquiry chair Lady Elish Angiolini said violence against women and girls continues to be treated with less urgency than other high-priority crime types, despite being designated a “national threat” in the government’s 2023 strategic policing requirement.

“There is no better time to act than now,” Angiolini said, calling on leaders to accelerate reforms. “There are lives at stake.”

The inquiry reported significant gaps in the collection and analysis of data on sexually motivated crime, describing current information as “patchy and incomplete”. It warned that the absence of consistent national data hampers effective prevention and policing.

Its accompanying public survey of 2,000 people highlighted widespread concern among young women, with more than three-quarters of respondents aged 18 to 24 reporting feelings of insecurity in public spaces.

The report calls for coordinated national action, including:

improved data collection and sharing across agencies
centrally managed public messaging on violence against women and girls
education programmes for men and boys promoting positive behaviours
mandated procedures for police forces investigating sexual offences

It also proposes treating sexually motivated crime against women as both a criminal justice and public health issue, stating that offences should be considered preventable rather than inevitable.

The Home Office said it would consider the inquiry’s recommendations and highlighted a £13.1 million national centre aimed at improving police responses to violence against women and girls.

Families of victims including Sarah Everard and Zara Aleena said the findings demonstrate the need for significant further work. Everard’s family issued a statement saying the report “shows how much work there is to do in preventing sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces”.

Part 2 of the inquiry, released in two sections, will continue with an examination of police culture regarding misogynistic and predatory behaviour. A third part, launched after former officer David Carrick’s sentencing in 2023, will investigate his career and conduct.

Left-leaning outlets frame police failings as a systemic crisis, highlighting that “predators continue to roam freely” and that “lives are at stake.” They use emotionally charged language to underscore the “sadness, rage and panic” experienced by victims’ families, advocating for urgent reform and emphasizing the human cost of these failures.

Center-leaning coverage, while acknowledging a “critical failure” and noting that police shortcomings may have aided predators, takes a more descriptive approach. It emphasizes that “sex offences against women [are] not given the same response as other high-priority crimes” and points to a lack of specific data on stranger rape, presenting the issues in a more measured, informational tone.

Right-leaning reports, by contrast, focus on a “lack of ambition” and a “troubling lack of momentum” from authorities. They urge police to “act urgently,” framing the problem primarily through a law-and-order lens that stresses accountability and decisive action.

Across the political spectrum, there is consensus on the inquiry’s findings: police face significant issues and action is required. However, outlets diverge on the perceived root causes, debating whether the failures stem from systemic neglect or a deficit in institutional will, reflecting broader ideological priorities.

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