Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance the Government provides to police forces to (a) help deal with racially aggravated sexual assault and (b) support victims of those crimes.

Police are operationally independent and work in line with College of Policing guidance to respond to hate crime and sexual offences.

However, the Government expects the police to fully investigate each and every assault and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.

The Ministry of Justice will invest £550 million over the next three years to provide counselling, court guidance and children’s services for victims. This funding will be delivered via PCCs, who assess local need and are best placed to commission tailored services, including for victims with protected characteristics such as race.