Government to place rape and sexual offence specialists in every force by 2027

Investigators dedicated to rape and sexual offences will be deployed to every police force in England and Wales by the close of 2027, an acceleration of a scheme first announced for summer 2029. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the previous timetable was too slow and pledged a "laser-focused" approach to tackling violence against women and girls. The government will allocate up to £13.3 million to as many as ten forces to enhance protection-order teams, which manage electronic monitoring and exclusion zones for offenders.

Safeguarding Minister Satvir Kaur called the violence a critical challenge and promised relentless pursuit of perpetrators. Refuge’s policy head Ellie Butt praised the initiative but stressed it represents only a small portion of the support required for survivors. Earlier, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood had labeled the problem a national emergency and criticized the uneven quality of investigations across the country.