The survey, carried out by City, University of London as part of the police and Crown Prosecution Service’s Operation Soteria Bluestone, also heard from 190 survivors who chose not to report to the police, most commonly because they felt ashamed, embarrassed and feared they wouldn’t be believed. Of those who did go to the police, only half felt officers were respectful and kind, while 31% said they did not always feel safe with officers.

In turn, more than half of respondents said they had lost trust in the police because of their response, while 56% of respondents said they would be unlikely to report any future rapes. “I can confidently say I will never be contacting the police for help again,” wrote one.

Earlier this year, a report from Rape Crisis England and Wales suggested that long delays and a huge increase in the rescheduling of rape trials were also having a “disastrous impact” on the mental health of victims and survivors. In response, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said that the government is committed to delivering “real improvements” in the criminal justice system’s response to rape. However, what this survey makes clear is that there is still much more to be done to better and more consistently protect victims of sexual assault.

Three-quarters of rape survivors say the police response harmed their mental health