Decision Maker: Director for Safer and Stronger Communities, GM Deputy Mayor, Group Chief Finance Officer
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Operation Soteria was developed in response to
national concern around the investigation of rape and sexual
assault offences and the increasing epidemic that is violence
against women and girls.
Its aim is to increase the number of adult rape and serious sexual
assault cases reaching charge, and, in addition, deliver sustained
improvement in the criminal justice whole system response.
The programme combines practitioner knowledge with that of academic
experts, along with research insight and transformational change
support to forces. This has led to the development of the first
National Operating Model for the investigation of rape and serious
sexual offences.
Investigating rape is complex. It is one of the few crimes where a
life sentence can be given. It is recognised that GMP investigators
often lack the knowledge, skills, and experience to effectively
deal with such complex, trauma-based crime.
The decision is that:
The Deputy Mayor has agreed an envelope of funding to the value of
£1.1M to support the delivery of Operation Soteria within
GMP, with the purpose of:
• To improve investigative outcomes for Victims in Rape and
Serious Sexual Offences
• Develop an environment for change to enable the future
implementation of the National Operating Model
Operation Soteria - High level allocation of funding to end of
March 2025:
Deputy Mayor Allocation - £1100000
TOTAL expenditure and agreed allocation, 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26
= £355,067
Funding to be agreed, £744,933
£744,933 – The allocation of the remaining funding to
be agreed through a separate decision notice and business cases to
the Deputy Mayor.
Publication date: 30/04/2025
Date of decision: 22/04/2025