Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing guidance on police forces designating people who report allegations of sexual abuse as complainants rather than victims.

On 13 March 2020 HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue

Services published its report, commissioned by the Home Secretary, assessing the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)’s

progress in learning from Operation Midland. The report is available at https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/news/news-feed/met-police-slow-to-learn-lessons-after-operation-midland/.

A number of referrals have been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in relation to Operation Midland. The IOPC has not found a case to answer for any officer but has issued a number of learning recommendations – these can be found at https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/recommendations/national-recommendations-and-recommendations-made-metropolitan-police-service.

“Victim” is a commonly accepted term across a wide range of guidance, including the statutory Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims’ Code’) which sets out the services that victims should receive from the criminal justice system following the crime. The Government does not believe that people who report being the victim of sexual abuse should have their allegations treated differently from those who report other offences.