Tuesday (2 December) saw the publication of Part 2 of the Angiolini Inquiry into preventing sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces.
The Inquiry was set up following the horrifying murder of Sarah Everard by off-duty Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens. The report focuses on the extent to which existing measures prevent sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces.
The report recognises the effectiveness of the co-ordinated approach undertaken by Merseyside Police working with a range of partners to tackle offending and support victims.
The #TakingAction campaign, which launched in 2024, is cited as a positive example of the work being carried out by Merseyside Police to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The voices of women and girls is at the heart of this campaign and recognises their fears and concerns, whilst acknowledging the scale of the issue in Merseyside.
The report also praises the force for the work of officers who conduct impromptu visits to licenced premises to ensure there is widespread understanding of the Ask for Angela scheme, which enables women to discreetly seek help from staff in licensed premises.
The Safer Streets campaign in Merseyside, responding to feedback from women who felt unsafe getting public transport at night was also credited as a good example of local partnership working. This included a programme of activity that included prevention activity in school, training for teachers, the targeting of perpetrators and increased CCTV.
The use of CCTV evidence to ensure perpetrators are prosecuted is cited as a further example of good practice in the region – ensuring offenders are brought to justice and put behind bars, unable to cause further harm.
Head of Investigations at the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit in Merseyside Police, Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Lamb said: “Sexual offences committed against women and girls are among the most heinous of crimes and cause lifelong harm to victim-survivors and we welcome today’s report and its recommendations.
“Merseyside Police is committed to tackling and preventing Violence Against Women and Girls, and we are grateful to Lady Elish Angiolini KC and the producers of the report for shining a spotlight on the extensive work already being carried out here in Merseyside.
“Our activity to target offenders, support victims and drive lasting change goes far beyond what the report highlights, and many of the national recommendations the report makes are already in place here.
“We work with schools to educate children on the impact behaviours can have on others and what is and isn’t acceptable, so that positive behaviours are encouraged as early as possible.
“We regularly identify and proactively pursue perpetrators who pose a risk of harm to women and girls, and manage offenders through education, prevention, diversion, disruption and enforcement tactics. We have also implemented a perpetrator programme to identify and manage domestic abuse perpetrators.
“Our specialist rape investigation team, Unity, has been in place for more than a decade and is staffed with dedicated specialist investigators and specially trained victim support staff. They have built up experience and expertise that enables them to address the unique concerns of victims.
“Operation Empower has been running since April 2021 and is aimed at preventing sexual violence in Liverpool city centre and town centres across Merseyside. Dedicated officers are tasked with identifying potential perpetrators who are displaying signs of predatory behaviour and to disrupt those who present a potential risk. Officers are also asked to be aware of anyone who may be vulnerable to ensure any immediate safeguarding concerns are met.
“We are currently marking the internationally recognised 16 days of action to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and just last week we launched Operation Halo together with local authorities and licensed venues. This is a new initiative designed to protect vulnerable individuals and tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in Liverpool’s night-time economy. It is building on the Ask for Angela campaign and aims to provide support beyond the bars and clubs. We have worked with venues to train staff as VAWG Champions so they can spot vulnerability, recognise offender behaviours, respond to incidents such as spiking, and preserve evidence where needed. These champions will be approachable and easy to spot thanks to specially designed armbands. They’ll help anyone who feels unsafe, building a culture of safety across Liverpool’s nightlife and making the night-time economy a safer place for women and girls.
“The second phase will introduce Halo Points – well-lit, highly visible points across the city centre, marked by distinctve green and white lighting. Their visibility will act as a deterrent to offenders while ensuring those who need help can access it quickly and discreetly. Each strategically placed point will offer direct contact with emergency services via 999 and will be linked to City Watch CCTV, offering immediate reassurance and rapid intervention by VAWG champions or police officers for anyone feeling vulnerable or in distress. The Halo Points will launch late December.”
Detective Chief Supt Lamb, added: “Merseyside Police is one of five forces participating in Operation Topaz — a pioneering initiative aimed at identifying and intercepting high-risk VAWG offenders using the road network. It brings together Roads Policing and specialist teams, using predictive Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and intelligence-led tactics to locate, intercept, and arrest individuals who pose a serious threat to women and girls.
“This autumn, Merseyside Police also took part in two key initiatives led by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to strengthen its response to stalking and support victims. The 100 Strong Campaign is a nationwide effort uniting 100 organisations to raise awareness and drive change in how stalking is tackled, and officers will undergo Stalking Champions Training to better identify stalking behaviours, manage risk effectively and avoid investigative errors that could jeopardise victim safety.”
Det Chief Supt Lamb added: “Our ultimate aim is to protect women and girls from becoming victims by preventing offending in the first place.
“We are committed to taking any steps that will help us provide a better service to victims and to prevent offending, and as a learning organisation, we will review the national recommendations contained in the report in detail.
“While many of the recommendations have already been put into practice here in Merseyside, we owe it to the victim-survivors of sexual offences to ensure we continue to develop and improve the way we work and where we can improve effectiveness, we will.
“We put victim-survivors first in all we do and when offences do occur, we want them to feel confident in the service we, alongside partners, provide here in Merseyside.
“I want to give my assurance to all victims that our officers will treat you with sensitivity, dignity and empathy and do everything in our power to bring perpetrators to justice.”
To report a sexual offence you can call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape, you can access specialist support services, which are free of charge and available to anyone. You do not need a referral or to have reported an incident to Merseyside Police before you access these specialist support services.
These services can support you in a variety of ways, including offering a confidential discussion if you are thinking of making a police report, but are unsure what that involves and would like to discuss it.
If you do decide to report to Merseyside Police, you will receive support throughout the investigation, court process and beyond.
You can choose to make an anonymous report through the Sexual Assault Referral Centre called Safe Place, or the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor service, rather than coming directly to Merseyside Police.
With no police involvement, a specialist doctor at Safe Place can examine you to check that you are ok and look for DNA evidence, which they will store to support your case. This gives you the option of making a formal police report at a later time, if you choose to.
Support is also available in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, from Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.
If you do not require immediate police assistance, then you can report rape and sexual assault via our website here:
https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/
Support is also available through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service: Home: Victim Care Merseyside
We recently launched our Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) campaign to put the voices of women and girls at the heart of our work to tackle VAWG. You can find out more about the campaign here: www.merseyside.police.uk/vawg