All police forces in England and Wales are now expected to have specialist rape and sexual offence teams in place by December 2027. This brings the deadline forward by 18 months from the original target of summer 2029, which was set out in the government's Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy last December.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the acceleration is due to the unacceptable scale of violence and abuse suffered by women and girls. These specialist teams are dedicated to investigating rape and sexual offences, supporting victims, and bringing offenders to justice.
As part of the initiative, up to ten police forces across England and Wales will receive a share of £13.3 million to establish pioneering specialist protection order teams. These orders can include electronic monitoring, exclusion zones, and mandatory behaviour change programmes for offenders, and can be issued by courts even without a criminal conviction.
The government is also rolling out new domestic abuse protection orders, which cover physical, controlling, coercive, economic abuse, and stalking, with no maximum duration. These measures aim to prevent harm, reduce risk, and improve outcomes for victims.