Reporting rape in London: a qualitative study

In the 1980s, in response to public criticism of police handling of rape cases, changes of style and procedure were initiated by the Metropolitan Police. Other forces followed suit. But there has been little research to monitor the impact of the new regimes. This article looks at the responses of a group of women who reported rape in 3 Area (North East) of the Metropolitan Police District during the years 1993 to 1995 with a view to ascertaining their reactions to police processes and to gauging those aspects of their contact with the police which they regarded as particularly positive or negative. The article suggests that, given the vast increase since the 1980s in the number of rapes being reported annually, particularly in the Metropolitan Police District, a fresh look may need to be given to current police systems.