After the incident of Gisele Pelicot in France, who was raped by her ex-husband and 50 other men, rape victims in England and Wales echoed Pelicot’s message, saying that “shame belongs to the perpetrators, not them”, in the most largest survey ever conducted. of rape and sexual assault survivors, according to the government’s key crime adviser.

Three-quarters of respondents to the survey of rape and sexual assault survivors said their mental health had been affected “as a direct result of what the police did or did not do in their case”.

What’s more, only one in 10 said they would report again, the researchers said.

However, how the criminal justice system deals with rape in 2021 shows the first “green roots” of improving the experience of victims in the criminal justice system.

Respondents after last July were eight per cent more likely to report damage to their mental health due to the police.

Meanwhile, only two in five respondents agreed that the police are doing well.

See | France: Gisele Pelicot tells her harrowing story in court

Only one in five said they had been pressured by officers to withdraw the case, with black and minority ethnic survivors having worse experiences than white respondents.

In December 2023, sex crime charges rose 18% from the previous year, while adult rape charges rose 38% over the same period.

“Some victims are getting better services now, but not all,” said Katrin Hohl, lead researcher and independent government rape adviser.

“They are green shoots, but there is clearly a long way to go. This is the first clear indication that Operation Soteria is the right model,” she added.

(With contributions from agencies)