Professor John Robertson OBA

From BBC Politics today:

All police forces to get specialist sexual offence teams, Mahmood pledges – Specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams will be introduced to every police force in England and Wales by 2029, the government has pledged. It is part of a long-delayed plan aimed at halving violence against women and girls within a decade.

In Scotland:

Police Scotland’s specialist sexual offence teams, including the divisional Rape Investigation Units and the National Rape Task Force, were established following the creation of Police Scotland on 1 April 2013.This came from the merger of Scotland’s eight regional police forces into a single national service under the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012. The new structure aimed to provide consistent access to specialist resources nationwide, including for serious sexual crimes.

• Divisional Rape Investigation Units: One in each of the (now) 13 local policing divisions, these replaced or integrated similar units from the legacy forces (e.g., Public Protection Units or specialist teams in forces like Strathclyde). They handle local investigations with specially trained officers.
• National Rape Task Force: Based at the Scottish Crime Campus in Gartcosh (with references to units in Glasgow and Aberdeen), this provides national support, expertise, and coordination to the divisional units. It operates within the Specialist Crime Division and focuses on complex cases, best practices, and oversight.
• Sexual Offences Liaison Officers (SOLOs): Integrated into this framework to provide victim support.

Prior to 2013, legacy forces had their own varying specialist arrangements, but the unified, standardised approach began with Police Scotland’s formation. The emphasis on rape and serious sexual offences as a “key priority” has been consistent since then, with ongoing refinements (e.g., training and partnerships).^{1, 2}

Reported incidents of rape and attempted rape are tragically on the increase in Scotland. There were 2 897 in 2024-2025.³

In England and Wales – Around 34% (72,804 offences) of all sexual offences recorded by the police in YE June 2025 were rape offences. ⁴

All things being equal, rape and attempted rape in England & Wales might be around 11 times higher, to reflect a population 11 times greater – around 30 000 but it was 72 804, shockingly between two and three times more common.

Sources:

1. https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/rape-and-sexual-crime/help-for-victims-of-sexual-crime/
2. https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/rape-and-sexual-crime/help-for-victims-of-sexual-crime/
3. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=c252db3e9e6001fa16740c60163a76d4b872fa8711957b9bb4e6aa485e49324bJmltdHM9MTc2NTY3MDQwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=040f0c0f-8f6f-69bb-36d4-18948ed46872&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ292LnNjb3QvYmluYXJpZXMvY29udGVudC9kb2N1bWVudHMvZ292c2NvdC9wdWJsaWNhdGlvbnMvc3RhdGlzdGljcy8yMDI1LzA2L3JlY29yZGVkLWNyaW1lLXNjb3RsYW5kLTIwMjQtMjUvZG9jdW1lbnRzL3JlY29yZGVkLWNyaW1lLWluLXNjb3RsYW5kLTIwMjQtMjUvcmVjb3JkZWQtY3JpbWUtaW4tc2NvdGxhbmQtMjAyNC0yNS9nb3ZzY290JTNBZG9jdW1lbnQvUmVjb3JkZWQlMkJDcmltZSUyQmluJTJCU2NvdGxhbmQlMjUyQyUyQjIwMjQtMjUucGRm&ntb=1
4. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/latest#sexual-offences