MPs urge police forces in England and Wales to have specialist rape investigators

Expansion of specialist teams proposed in report, along with independent legal advice for complainants

Police teams that specialise in investigating rape must be set up across England and Wales and independent legal advice must be offered to victims and survivors facing demands for their digital devices, a parliamentary committee has concluded.

In an examination of why rape prosecutions are falling, the home affairs select committee found that the unacceptably low numbers of prosecutions for rape and sexual offences would continue without major reforms to the criminal justice system.