Jon Needham: the man who went to hell and back as a child – and now fights for all rape victims

He experienced horrendous abuse in foster care, then suffered terribly years later when the case came to court. Now a police officer, he is determined to change how the system treats survivors

Jon Needham looks like a copper. Tall, broad and imposing, he works in a lifetime offender management unit, where he deals with serious and organised criminals. So when he speaks, his gentleness comes as a surprise. I joined the police because I was passionate about helping people," he says. It sounds like a cliche to say you want to make a real difference, but I genuinely mean it."

Needham gets paid for working with nominals" - people who are on the police database (That's what the police call them, I call them people," he says). But he is also transforming how his colleagues deal with victims of rape and sexual assault.