Professor Fiona Vera-Gray and Jo Lovett’s work has led to new national guidance, strengthening police response to non-contact sexual offences.
Date: 17 February 2025
In 2024, London Metropolitan University’s Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) was commissioned, alongside Professor Clare McGlynn of Durham University, to conduct new research to understand the nature and extent of non-contact sexual offending as well as to explore challenges in the current police response.
The CWASU team translated their findings into new guidance, announced today by the College of Policing - the professional body for police leadership, standards, and performance - which has been developed into e-learning for officers across England and Wales.
The new measures are a direct response to the Angiolini Inquiry, led by Dame Elish Angiolini DBE KC, which was launched following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer with a known history of non-contact sexual offending.
Non-contact sexual offences (NCSOs) are sexual crimes that do not involve physical contact between the offender and the victim. These include offences such as indecent exposure, voyeurism, upskirting, and sending unsolicited sexual images. While they do not involve direct physical harm, NCSOs can cause significant psychological distress and are often part of a pattern of escalating or repeated offending.
Transforming Police Response
"One of the reasons why non-contact sexual offending is starting to be taken seriously is because it was featured so heavily in the offending history of Wayne Couzens," explained Professor Vera-Gray.
"Dame Angiolini recommended that there needed to be a step change with more guidance and training for officers, and this is hopefully fulfilling that."
Professor Vera-Gray’s research with the College of Policing, builds on her involvement in a previous project on sexual exposure conducted for the College of Policing, as well as Operation Soteria - a nationwide initiative to improve rape investigations and prosecutions with a victim-centred, suspect-focused approach - demonstrates that these offences are not minor or isolated but often part of a repeated pattern of harmful behaviour.
Changing Attitudes Towards Non-Contact Sexual Offences
The research challenges the assumption that non-contact sexual offences are only a concern if they escalate into more serious crimes.
Findings show that many offenders do not escalate but instead commit these crimes repeatedly against multiple victims. This reinforces the need for robust police intervention from the outset.
"People sometimes think that offences like indecent exposure or voyeurism aren’t serious because they don’t cause physical injury," Professor Vera-Gray said. "Because there’s no physical contact, they’re seen as less harmful and not needing as thorough a response."
While this new guidance is just the start of the process, Professor Vera-Gray is hopeful that attitudes are changing.
"Working with the College of Policing and individual officers from forces across England and Wales has been really heartening," she said.
"I can really see that there seems to be a desire within policing to make a change. There’s been a recognition of the problem, and there’s a desire for change."
Chief Superintendent Jamie Daniels, College of Policing, said: "This training we’ve developed, based on the research from Professor Vera-Gray and Dr McGlynn, will be vital in reframing the way police approach and respond to non-contact sexual offences. Their research provided the strong evidence base we needed to lay out the facts and challenge misconceptions – particularly around the severity and patterns of offending relating to NCSOs.
"Sadly, we know these offences can be precursors to, or indicators of, more serious crimes. By improving early investigation and intervention, we can better protect the public by spotting repeat behaviour patterns and ensure we’re investigating these crimes with the level of attention they deserve, right from the outset."
Turning Research into Action
The Angiolini Inquiry called for urgent improvements in how police handle these offences. The new guidance ensures that officers are trained to recognise patterns of offending and act early to prevent further harm.
By placing expert research at the heart of its approach, the College of Policing is demonstrating a firm commitment to tackling sexual violence and Professor Vera-Gray’s work is central to that.
Pic: Professor Vera-Gray and Jo Lovett
London Met: Leading Research & Education in Violence Against Women
London Met’s Women and Child Abuse MA is a pioneering programme equipping students with the expertise to tackle violence against women and children through policy, research, and frontline work.
The course is taught by experts from the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU), a globally recognised research centre that has influenced policing, policy, and support services for over 30 years.
