New Police Training on Non-Contact Sexual Offences
Professor Clare McGlynn helped develop the new Police Training on Non-Contact Sexual Offences which includes voyeurism, exposure, cyberflashing and sharing intimate images without consent, which was launched today.
Article written by Professor Clare McGlynn
Why now?
- In high profile cases such as the murder of Sarah Everard and student Libby Squires, perpetrators had a history of non-contact sexual offending that was not taken seriously.
- The Angiolini Inquiry into Sarah Everard's murder recommended new training and guidance for police on non-contact offences such as sexual exposure.
What did we do?
- The College of Policing asked Fiona Vera-Gray, Jo Lovett and myself to work in close collaboration with police forces and groups supporting sexual violence survivors, to help us understand the challenges on the frontline and develop guidance grounded in the core priorities of sexual offence investigations following Operation Soteria: victim-centred, suspect-focused, and context led.
- We developed new guidance for police investigations, as well as working with colleagues in the College of Policing to develop the new training which has already been undertaken by 2,000 officers.
Why This Matters
- Research shows that non-contact sexual offenders are often serial offenders and for too long they’ve been protected by a poor police response and a society that doesn’t recognise the seriousness of these offences.
- Non-contact sexual offences cause significant harm. Too many women and girls don’t feel safe online or on the streets.
Hope for the future
- My hope is that this new initiative sends a message to offenders that you’re not going to get away with it anymore. For too long, these offences have not been taken seriously, with victims’ experiences dismissed. This is now beginning to change.
- For the first time, police have training and guidance on the new offence of cyberflashing, ensuring that this alarmingly common and violating practice is properly investigated.
Voices of Change
- Libby Squire's mother has done so much to raise awareness of these issues and we are really pleased she is part of the training - giving officers a real insight into the harms and impacts of these forms of sexual offending.
- Lisa Squire, speaking to Sky News, explained, “It's so important that we encourage police officers to take non-contact offences seriously. I'm really pleased to see it come together.”
This new initiative is not just about changing procedures; it’s about shifting attitudes and behaviours within our society. My hope is that it sends a resolute message to offenders: the police are equipped with new ways to identify, investigate, and protect our communities. Women and girls deserve to be safe and free, and our collective efforts are a step in that direction.