A new report has identified a "critical failure" in Britain's ability to answer basic questions about sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. The Angiolini Inquiry found that data on these offenses is "difficult to obtain, patchy and incomplete," preventing effective prevention efforts and allowing perpetrators to evade detection.
Lady Elish Angiolini, who heads the inquiry, told journalists upon the report's publication: «What is of great concern to me, still, is that basic questions cannot be answered.» She explained: «No one was able to confidently tell me how many women nationally report being the victim of sexually motivated crimes in public spaces.»
The inquiry was set up following the murder of Sarah Everard, who was abducted, raped and killed by Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021. Couzens used his police status to commit the crime and is now serving a whole-life sentence.
Systemic data gaps
Angiolini highlighted the severity of the problem: «For example, we cannot answer basic questions such as 'how many women were raped by strangers in public spaces, as opposed to someone known to them, in private spaces in England and Wales last year', and there is limited data on sexual assault and indecent exposure.»
She warned: «If this data is not being gathered and recorded consistently across forces, how can it be analysed to spot patterns in offending? This is a critical failure.» The report notes that without consistent data, it is impossible to secure funding for prevention schemes or prove their effectiveness.
Missed opportunities
The inquiry's first phase, published last year, found that Couzens should never have been a police officer. He had indecently exposed himself three times before murdering Everard, including twice at a fast-food restaurant in Kent just days before the killing. Despite concerns about his behavior, he moved from Kent Police to the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in 2011 and then to the Metropolitan Police in 2018.
Sarah Everard's family responded to the initial findings with a stark statement: «She would never have got into a stranger's car.» Their belief is that she died because Couzens was a police officer.
Overstretched system
Angiolini stated: «Too many perpetrators are slipping through the cracks in an overworked system; police, prison and probation resources are overstretched and underfunded.» She warned: «Too often prevention in this space remains just words.»
The report identifies an "unacceptable level of inconsistency" across England and Wales in addressing violence against women and girls, despite it being classified as a national threat. Angiolini concluded: «Until this disparity is addressed, violence against women and girls cannot credibly be called a national priority.»
The inquiry will publish its second phase next year, focusing on police vetting and culture. A third phase will examine the crimes of David Carrick, another Metropolitan Police officer who received 36 life sentences in 2023 for serial rape and was handed another life sentence this month.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
