The government has announced a major acceleration of its plans to combat sexual violence, bringing forward the target date to establish specialist rape and sexual offence teams in every police force across England and Wales.
Under the revised timetable, all police forces will be required to have dedicated specialist units operational by December 2027, 18 months earlier than the original summer 2029 deadline.
Accelerating support for victims
The decision to bring forward the deadline comes amid growing calls to reform the criminal justice system’s handling of sexual offences and boost conviction rates.
Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls Alex Davies-Jones said waiting until the end of the decade was unacceptable for victims seeking justice.
“Rolling out specialist rape and sexual offence teams in every police force by 2029 would have been too slow – so we’re fast-tracking it to Dec 2027.
“Faster action. Stronger protection. Relentless pursuit of perpetrators.”
Strengthening the justice system
The accelerated rollout aims to ensure that every police force possesses dedicated investigators, trauma-informed support officers, and streamlined evidence-gathering protocols specifically tailored for complex sexual offence cases.
Ministers have emphasised that establishing dedicated units in every force is central to rebuilding public confidence in policing, reducing court backlogs for serious sexual offences, and delivering faster justice for victims of violence against women and girls.
