Operation Soteria has contributed to significant changes in the way rape and serious sexual offence cases are investigated and prosecuted by making them victim-centred, but that progress risks stalling once cases enter the court system, finds a new study.
The report 'End-to-end' Soteria pilot study: Findings and recommendations was led by Professor Katrin Hohl OBE at City St George’s, University of London and is the first study to examine whether and how Operation Soteria's principles are being applied beyond charge and into the later stages of the criminal justice process.
One of the core principles of Operation Soteria was to make investigations victim-centred, by refocusing efforts away from scrutinising victims’ credibility and instead on the actions of the perpetrator.
The report was commissioned by the Ministry of Justice. It examined 25 charged rape and serious sexual offence cases and drew on interviews with police officers, CPS lawyers, barristers and senior criminal justice stakeholders, and tested Soteria training for barristers and barrister-led courtroom training for officers.
Researchers found evidence that Operation Soteria's suspect-focused, context-led approach has become embedded within policing and the Crown Prosecution Service, contributing to changes in the handling of rape cases at a time when the number of rape suspects charged is at its highest level since records began.
However, the study identifies a significant post-charge "cliff edge" in strategic focus, resourcing, training, oversight and accountability. While Operation Soteria has established strong performance management and improvement mechanisms before charge, researchers found comparatively little strategic attention devoted to what happens after cases move towards trial.
The study found differing views among practitioners about 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. Researchers also identified considerable variation in attitudes, approaches and practices between individual practitioners, contributing to inconsistency across the criminal justice system.
The report sets out 11 recommendations to strengthen the end-to-end response to rape and serious sexual offences, including the development of a post-charge Soteria strategy, improved trial preparation, stronger learning and feedback mechanisms, and greater engagement with barristers and the judiciary.
Professor Katrin Hohl OBE, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at City St George's, University of London and lead author of the report, 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.
"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, called the report “important” and said:
“Whilst I welcome the progress being driven by Operation Soteria, particularly its shift towards a more suspect-focused approach to the investigation and prosecution of rape, I remain concerned that this 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.
“We need a genuinely whole-system approach to tackling rape and serious violence, ensuring that the victim-centred and suspect-focused principles embedded through Operation Soteria are carried through every stage of the justice process, including the courts.
“The newly announced multi-agency rape and serious sexual offenses (RASSO) Taskforce will be critical in driving this system-wide change. Its success should be measured not simply by activity, but 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 (NPCC) Lead for Adult Sexual Offences, said:
"The first generation of Operation Soteria cases are now reaching the courts in greater numbers. That presents an important opportunity, but also 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.”
The Leveson Review, an independent review of the criminal courts in England and Wales commissioned by the Government to tackle the severe Crown Court backlog of nearly 80,000 cases, published its recommendations in October with references to the End-to-end project, and called for the implementation of Operation Soteria best practice principles from report to conviction.
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‘End-to-end’ Soteria pilot study: Findings and recommendations
14-Oct-2026