Police forces are routinely failing to investigate complaints regarding image-based abuse, previously known as “revenge pornography”. This is according to new research that has prompted a super-complaint concerning the handling of such crimes.
Lawyers gathered evidence from 100 individuals who reported intimate images being shared online without their consent. Their research suggests that image-based abuse is frequently dismissed or not recognised as a criminal offence.
Data from 39 police forces in England and Wales shows that charges were lodged against perpetrators in an average of just 4.5% of cases last year. This is despite a more than 4,000% increase in referrals to the Revenge Porn Helpline between 2015 and 2025.
Researchers also found instances where police officers responded inappropriately to women attempting to register complaints. Home Office data indicates only 569 charges were issued for image-based abuse in 2025/2026, while the Revenge Porn Helpline received almost 25,000 reports in 2025.
The super-complaint will be jointly considered by the College of Policing and the Independent Office for Police Conduct, who will decide whether to open a wider investigation.