Overhaul of rape inquiries threatened by lack of courtroom awareness, says expert

Exclusive: Independent adviser says some judges in England and Wales have not heard of changes to way cases are investigated

An overhaul of the way police investigate rape is being put at risk by a lack of awareness in courtrooms in England and Wales, the government's independent adviser on rape has warned.

Prof Katrin Hohl said legal experts were concerned progress would stall or reverse if the conviction rate for rape dropped significantly because a new approach for investigating the cases, known as Operation Soteria, was hitting outdated practices in the courts.