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Rape and Sexual Assault

Rape and sexual assault are very serious crimes that can have a lasting impact on victims, their families, and communities. Anyone can be the victim of a sexual crime, including women, girls, men and boys – no matter who they are or where they come from.

We know that it takes a lot of courage to report a sexual assault. If the police think there is enough evidence, they will hand the case over to the Crown Prosecution Service. It will be reviewed by a prosecutor who specialises in rape and sexual offences. These cases are some of the most serious and complex that we handle, and we are committed to treating them with care and respect.

If there is enough evidence, and it is in the public interest for the case to go to court, then we will always prosecute the case. Sometimes, victims will come forward about sexual abuse that happened a long time ago. These cases can still be taken to court, and we treat them just as seriously.

We want all victims of rape and sexual assault to feel safe and supported. We will do everything we can to help them through the legal process, so that more offenders can be held to account and more victims can see justice done.

What are rape and sexual assault?

The law in England and Wales uses the words ‘rape’ and ‘sexual assault’ to describe crimes where someone has sex with you our touches you in a sexual way without your consent.

Read more about rape and sexual assault

Support for victims of Rape and Sexual Assault

The CPS is committed to taking steps to help victims and witnesses through the often-difficult experience of becoming involved in the criminal justice system. 

Support for victims

CPS Guide for Victims of Rape and Sexual Assault

Read the guide

CPS Guide for Victims of Rape and Sexual Assault

Easy read guide

Victims’ Code

The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales

Actions the CPS are taking

Operation Soteria

Operation Soteria was a project that started in 2021 to improve how we deal with rape cases. It was led by our overarching aim to bring more offenders to justice and build victims’ trust.

This project helped us test new ideas, learn from what works, and keep improving.

Central to Operation Soteria was making sure we focus on the actions of the suspect, not the victim. This is called a suspect-focused approach. It means victims should never feel like they are the ones on trial.

We are now using this approach in how we investigate cases, make decisions, and work with police and lawyers. The new approach provides prosecutors with best practice, policy and tools and is underpinned by close joint working with the police early on in a case.

Rape Action Plan

Our future improvements will be delivered through a new Rape Action Plan focused on:

  • Providing enhanced oversight of our legal decision making.
  • Supporting and upskilling our people.
  • Increasing public confidence in our ability to prosecute these offences effectively.

The Action Plan will be informed by insights from across the CPS and is designed to be practical, targeted, and capable of delivering meaningful change.

Our aim is to ensure that every decision we make is robust, every prosecutor is supported, and every victim can have confidence in the justice process.

Videos: How we prosecute rape and sexual assault

In these videos, our specialist prosecutors talk about how they prosecuted real cases of rape and sexual assault and how we’re working to embed a suspect-centric approach in our casework. This includes discussion of sexual violence and may be upsetting for some viewers.

Nikki Powell talks about prosecuting a rape case, proving lack of capacity to consent
(CONTENT WARNING: DISCUSSION OF RAPE, INJURY)

Charlotte Caulton-Scott talks about giving rape and sexual assault victims a voice
(CONTENT WARNING: DISCUSSION OF RAPE)

Nijole O’Brien talks about supporting vulnerable victims to secure justice
(CONTENT WARNING: DISCUSSION OF RAPE)

Asma Hopkinson discusses prosecuting a rape case involving a vulnerable victim
(CONTENT WARNING: DISCUSSION OF RAPE)

Where to get help?

If you are in immediate danger, please call 999. There are a range of support services for victims of rape and sexual offences.

Policy reports

CPS VAWG Strategy 2025-2030

The CPS is currently developing an updated Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy for 2025-2030. This will set out a plan of action to improve prosecutions of these crimes and strengthen the support available to victims over the next five years. Once the Strategy is published, you will be able to access it here.