Angiolini Inquiry

Immediately, the Home Office should lead work, coordinated by the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, to significantly increase both the collection and use of data on sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces, in order to establish an informed understanding of these crimes and assist in building effective preventative measures. This work should: a. Add requirements for police forces to consistently record and provide data on: (i) the nature of the relationship between the perpetrator and victim; and (ii) a description of the location of the offence(s), as part of their annual data returns. b. Review the capability and capacity of police analysts, working to increase the recruitment, retention and recognition of the central role these professionals play. c. Establish annual information collection, using existing surveys, to understand women's perceptions of safety and their experiences. d. Set clear guidelines that, where data is gathered by policing from female victims, they should be offered the opportunity to share information regarding protected characteristics.

By November 2026, the Government should explore how to improve the impact that the safety advice provided by police Designing Out Crime Officers could have on the prevention of sexually motivated crimes in public spaces, including by amendments to policies and changing their status within relevant planning legislation.

By March 2026, the Home Office, as the lead department for the response to violence against women and girls, should agree funding for a multi-year series of public information campaigns centred around the prevention of sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. These campaigns should be managed and funded centrally by the UK Government, but rolled out regionally and locally in a sustainable and consistent way. They should all have the same central purpose and messaging, and include evaluation metrics based on behaviour and attitudinal change, as well as communications reach and engagement.

The public has a pivotal role to play in the prevention of sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. In recognition of that: a. By April 2026, the Home Office should agree funding for a multi-year series of active bystander public information campaigns. Campaigns should be launched by no later than December 2026. b. By July 2026, the Home Office should agree which agencies should have ownership of the coordination standards and messaging around active bystander training. c. By July 2026, the Government should consider the arguments for the introduction of a wider Good Samaritan law, as championed by Farah Naz, Zara Aleena's aunt.

By April 2026, the Home Office, the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, and the National Police Chiefs' Council should roll out Project Vigilant nationally and consistently across all forces in England and Wales. This should be introduced primarily across nighttime economy spaces but should then be expanded to other suitable environments in which Project Vigilant could help prevent and interrupt perpetrators of sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces.

By September 2026, the Home Office, working closely with the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice, and the Department of Health and Social Care, should increase and improve the information, support and programmes available to men and boys that create a culture of positive masculinity, to help prevent them from committing sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. This should include: a. implementing the recommendation from the 2025 Independent Pornography Review on school and community programmes for boys and young men; b. creating a comprehensive online space providing information to perpetrators and their families; c. increasing the availability of early interventions for individuals with concerns about their thoughts or behaviours; d. reviewing the availability and effectiveness of behaviour change programmes.

Immediately, Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners should ensure that the prevention of sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces is an essential part of: (i) their violence against women and girls plans; and (ii) the Police and Crime Plans. This should include: a. circulating consistent and sustained leadership communications across the force; b. senior officers reviewing and taking appropriate action on metrics around these crimes; c. formal reviews by the senior officer team in every force to ensure clear roles and responsibilities; d. taking sustained action to train, empower and embed Designing Out Crime Officer roles.

By March 2026, the Home Office, working with the National Police Chiefs' Council, and the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, should agree plans for the full, consistent and sustainable implementation of Operation Soteria across all forces in England and Wales. This should include agreement of multi-year funding, covering the period until Operation Soteria has been both fully implemented and evaluated in all forces.

By June 2026, building on the wider violence against women and girls strategy, the Government should publish a comprehensive, multi-year and whole-system prevention strategy, which specifically targets the perpetrators of sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. This strategy should: a. coordinate activity aimed at preventing these crimes and reducing reoffending; b. coordinate and direct work to encourage reporting; c. be based on clear expectations and comprehensive stakeholder engagement; d. adopt a public health approach; e. provide clarity on roles and responsibilities; f. have secure multi-year funding; g. include a robust evaluation mechanism.

By March 2026, the College of Policing, working with the National Police Chiefs' Council, the Home Office, HMICFRS, and the National Centre for VAWG, should ensure that there are improved mechanisms in place to identify, test and roll out promising initiatives designed to prevent sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. This should include: a. continuing to encourage local innovation with improved mechanisms for national roll-out; b. working with the Association of PCCs on an approach that encourages liaison on implementation.

Immediately, the Home Office, in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Transport, and national and local policing organisations, should prioritise prevention activity targeting the perpetrators of sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. This should include: a. commissioning research on perpetrators; b. by November 2026, the College of Policing developing training and guidance on identifying and targeting policing activity against potential perpetrators; c. by December 2027, HMICFRS completing an inspection of the implementation; d. including perpetrator metrics in the evaluation of the Government's commitment to halve VAWG.

By March 2026, the College of Policing and the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, working with the National Police Chiefs' Council and the Crown Prosecution Service, should create a consistent and clear standard for police investigations in this area, explicitly addressing the detection of predatory perpetrators. The Home Secretary should give consideration to using her powers under section 53A of the Police Act 1996 to mandate police forces to follow particular procedures and practices.

Immediately, the Government should take action to make it clearer that preventing sexually motivated offences against women in public is an essential part of tackling violence against women and girls. This should include: a. ensuring this Report and the prevention strategy inform future Strategic Policing Requirements; b. committing to a positive ambition that these crimes are preventable, not inevitable; c. ensuring a clear focus on these crimes in neighbourhood policing roles; d. providing a full response to the 2025 Independent Pornography Review by February 2026.