A REPORT BY BARONESS VIVIEN STERN CBE OF AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW INTO HOW RAPE COMPLAINTS ARE HANDLED BY PUBLIC AUTHORITIES IN ENGLAND AND WALES THE THE STERN REVIEW STERN REVIEW The Stern Review Contents Foreword 3 Terms of Reference 6 Executive Summary 7 Introduction 23 Chapter One 28 Rape–misunderstandings,mythsandreality Chapter Two 56 Theroleofthepolice Chapter Three 79 Takingthecasetocourt Chapter Four 96 Beyondcriminaljustice–widerpolicychallenges Chapter Five 115 Conclusionsandrecommendations Annex A 125 AdvicefortheSternReview Annex B 137 Evidencegathered Bibliography Endnotes 151 Contents 1 FOREWORD BY BARONESS STERN IwasprivilegedtobeinvitedbytheGovernmentEqualitiesOffice andtheHomeOfficetocarryoutthisindependentreviewintothe treatmentofrapecomplaintsbypublicauthorities.Foroverfortyyears Ihavebeeninvolvedinworktoimprovethewaysocietyrespondsto crimeandcriminals.DuringthattimeIhaveoftenvoicedconcernthat wehavefailedtounderstandwhatacaringsocietyshouldbedoing torespondtothosewhohavebeenharmedbycrime.Thisreviewhas allowedmetostudyatfirsthandhowoneparticulargroupofvictims, thevictimsofrape,aretreated,andtorecommendhowwecando better. Ithasbeenanextraordinaryexperience.Inthecourseofcollecting evidenceIhavemetmanypeoplewithanimportantstorytotell.Sadly Ihavemetsomewhosetreatmentbytheauthoritieswasappalling. Examplesofsuchshockinglypoortreatmentaredescribedinthis report.JohnWorboysandKirkReidweremenwhomanagedtorape andassaultmanywomenbeforetheywerestopped,becausethepolice inLondondidnottakethevictimsseriouslyenoughwhentheycame toreportwhathadhappenedtothemandrapewasnotasufficiently highpriorityforsomeofthepoliceatthetime.Thesecasesmusthave donegreatdamagetotheconfidenceofvictimsinreportingwhathas happenedtothemandmanylessonsneededtobelearnt. ButIhavealsocomeacrossawiderangeofdeeplydedicatedmen andwomenwhoseworkhashelpedtobringatraumatisedperson throughamostterribleexperience.AcrossEnglandandWalesthereare examplestobefoundoftheverybestpracticethatcanbeenvisaged indealingwithrapevictims.Manyinthepoliceandtheprosecution serviceareworkinghardtochangethewaytheydealwiththismost difficultofcrimes,andIhavebeenimpressedbytheircommitmentand thequalityofwhatmanyofthemaredoing. IamgratefultotheVictims’ChampionSaraPayneforthediscussions wehadandthevaluableinsightstobefoundinhertworeports, Redefining Justice and Rape: the victim experience review.Shehas givenusaverysoundbasisfortheworkwehavedone.Iamalso gratefultoSirGeorgeAlbertiforourdiscussionsaboutthecrucialrole oftheNHSincaringforrapevictims.Iwelcometherecommendations hemakesinthereportofTheHealthAspectsofViolenceAgainst Foreword 3 WomenandChildrenTaskforce.Rapeisnotjustamatterforthe criminaljusticesystem.Far fromit.Thehealthimplicationsare substantialandtheroleoftheNHSneedstobedevelopedalongthe linessuggestedinSirGeorge’sreport. Thewayrapeisunderstoodanddealtwithhaschangedconsiderablyin recentyears.TheSexualOffencesAct2003broughtinanewdefinition ofrape.Inallofthe43policeforcesinEnglandandWalesthereare speciallytrainedofficerstodealwithrapecomplaints.Aboutathird offorceshavespecialrapeunits.TheCrownProsecutionServicehas appointedspecialistrapeprosecutors.Onlyjudgestrainedinsexual offencescanhearrapecases.Anewandverysuccessfulpostofvictims advisorhasbeencreatedtooffersupportinsomeplacestothosewho reportrape. Myreportlooksbroadlyatthesechangesandassesseshowfar,when theyareimplementedeverywhere,theywillleadtoabetterresponse bysocietytorapevictims.Ihopemyreportwillencouragethosewho haveembarkedonthepathofchangetodomore,andconvinceothers thatthisisanimportantpriority.Thisreportshouldmakeclearwhat anyonewhohasdecidedtoreportarape,whetheramanorawoman, canexpectfromapublicauthority. Iknowthatmanyofthosewhosufferrapedonotreportittothe authorities.Ihopemyreviewwillencouragemorevictimstoreportto thepolicewhathashappenedtothemandtostaywiththeprocess, eventhoughitmayseematthetimetobelongandpainful.Ialsohope itwillempowerthoserespondingtovictimstogiveabetterserviceand tobemoreeffectiveinwhattheydo.AndIhopetoothatpoliticians willagreethatensuringthemoneyisthereforsuchaserviceisan importantpriority,eveninatimeofseverefinancialrestraints. Rapetakesplacewithinawidersocialcontext.Manyofitsvictimsare veryvulnerable.Myreviewwillhavetakenusforwardifitprompts alittlemorethinkingaboutthemessagessocietyissendingoutto youngpeople:messagesaboutsexualrelationshipsandaboutour responsibilitytoprotectothersfromsexualexploitation. Theremitofthereviewwastolookattheresponseofpublicauthorities tothosemakingcomplaintsofrape.Wehavenotthereforelookedat anypossiblechangesinthelawinanydetail.Norhaveweconsidered theissueofchildsexualabuse.Thisisatopicinitsownright.We havedonewhatwecouldinthetimeavailabletoshowwhatneeds tobedone.Ourrecommendationsarenotnumerous,althoughthe 4 The Stern Review oneswemakeareimportant.Ratherthanprescribeindetail,wehave beenmoreconcernedtosuggestwhatistherightapproachforpublic authoritiestotake,individuallyandalsoaspartofawiderresponseof thecommunitytothisparticularlyinvasiveandtraumaticcrime. Therearemanypeopletothank:thosewhometme,wrotetomeor submittedevidence–overthreehundredaltogether–andthosewho gavemeverypersonalandextremelydistressingaccountsofwhathad happenedtothemandhavesomehowdealtwiththedamageinflicted onthemtotelltheirstorywithaviewtohelpingothers.Ihopethe shorttimewehavehadforthisreviewhasenabledustodosome justicetotheviewswehavereceived. InparticularImustthankthestaffsecondedtothereviewfromthe GovernmentEqualitiesOffice,namelyKuljitDhillon,Headofthe Secretariat,DaisySandsandFrancescaBroadbent,withoutwhose dedicationandhardworkthisreportcouldnothavebeenwritten. TheyarenotresponsiblefortheviewsIexpressorforwhatisomitted fromthisreport. Iwouldalsoliketothankmyassistant,HelenFair,forherconsiderable andunfailingsupport. BaronessVivienStern,CBE Foreword 5 TERms OF REFEREncE The Stern Review terms of reference are: • toexaminetheresponseofthepublicauthoritiestorapecomplaints andexaminehowmorevictimscanbeencouragedtoreport; • toexplorewaysinwhichtheattritionrateincriminalcasescanbe reduced,andhowtofairlyincreasetheconvictionrate; • toidentifyhowtoincreasevictimandwitnesssatisfaction,and confidenceinthecriminaljusticesysteminaddressingrape; • toexplorepublicandprofessionalattitudestorapeandhowthey impactonoutcomes; • toutilisefindingsandinformationavailablefromotherrelevant work,particularlytheworkonvictims’experiencebeingled bySara PayneandtheDepartmentofHealthTaskforceledby Professor Sir GeorgeAlberti,avoidingunnecessaryduplication;and • tomakerecommendations,withparticularreferencetoimproving theimplementationofcurrentpoliciesandprocedures. Throughoutthisreviewreferencestofootnotesarenumberedinblack andreferencestoendnotesarenumberedinorange. 6 The Stern Review EXEcUTIVE sUmmARY Rapeisaseriousanddeeplydamagingcrime.Itisuniqueintheway itstrikesatthebodilyintegrityandself-respectofthevictim,inthe demandsitmakesonthosepublicauthoritiesrequiredtorespondto itandinthecontroversyitgenerates.Weweretoldbyalawyer,‘Rape isuniqueasitisaninherentlylawfulactivitymadeillegalbecauseof lackofconsent.’Women,men,children,andpeopleofallagesandall socialgroupscanbecomerapevictims. Ourtermsofreferencerequiredustolookattheresponseofpublic authoritiestorapecomplaints.Wewereaskedtoconsiderhowthe responsecouldbeimprovedsothatmorevictimsmightreportwhat hadhappenedtothem;morecaseswouldendwithprosecutionand conviction;andvictimswouldreceivebettertreatment.Wewerenot lookingatchildsexualabuse,whichisatopicinitsownright.Norwere welookingatpossiblechangesinthelaw. Inthefivemonthsavailabletoustoprepareourreportwemetover 200individualspersonally,includingvictims,representativesfrom victims’organisations,judges,policeofficers,prosecutors,doctors andothers.Manyotherpeoplealsowrotetousorrespondedtoour survey.Theyprovideduswithapictureofsomeoutstandinglygood treatmentalongsideappallingfailure.Wemetmanydedicatedmenand womenworkingtohelpanoftentraumatisedpersonthroughamost terribleexperience.WelistenedtomanyfromRapeCrisisCentresand othervoluntaryorganisations,whosededicatedworkoveranumber ofyearstoraiseawarenessofsexualviolencehasledtomanyofthe improvementsthatwehavedescribedinthisreport.Welearnedhow vulnerablemanyofthevictimsofrapeare.Weheardwhatisimportant tovictimsofrape. Wehaveaimedinthisreporttoavoidjargonandtechnicalitiesin thehopethatitwillbewidelyreadoutsidethegroupswhowillread itbecausetheirjobsrequirethemto.Thedebatesaboutrapewill continue,andthemorewellinformedtheyarethebetter. Executive Summary 7 Our main conclusions The policies are right Indealingwithrapecomplaintsasubstantialamountofchangehas beenintroducedinrecentyearsbythepublicauthoritiesthatcarry responsibilitiesinthisarea.Attitudes,policiesandpracticeshave changed,fundamentallyandforthebetter.InEnglandandWales wenowhaveasystemwithspecialisationindealingwithrapeat thepolice,prosecutionandjudiciallevels.Wehavemeasuresinthe courtroomtominimisethetraumaofthetrialforthecomplainant. We haveaprogrammetoprovidestate-of-the-artmedicalcentres ineverypoliceforcearea,wherevictimsofrapecanbeexamined andassisted.Theextensiveresearchaboutrapemakesanumberof suggestionsforwaystoincreasethenumberofrapesthatarereported totheauthoritiesandensuremoresuccessfulprosecutions.These suggestionshaveinformedthenewpolicies.Detailedguidanceonan effectiveresponsetorapecomplaintshasbeenissuedtothepoliceand theCrownProsecutionService(CPS).Officialfiguresshowthatbetween 2006/7and2008/9thenumberofpeopleconvictedrosefrom1,778to 2,021. Implementation is patchy and must be improved Thesepoliciesaretherightonesandwehaveonlyafewchangesto recommend.Insomeareasthepoliciesareappliedconsistentlyand