A new approach for policing rape and serious sexual offences.
The national operating model for the investigation of rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) arose from the work of Operation Soteria Bluestone.
The model offers a transformational change approach to support improvement in police investigations. Led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), police forces have collaborated with academics to use research, evidence and new insight to develop the model and transform the response to victims.
National operating model
The national operating model for the investigation of RASSO offers a transformational change approach to support improvement in police investigations.
National operating model explainer
The national operating model for investigating rape and serious sexual offences is an investigation that is victim-centred, suspect-focused and context-led. Professor Katrin Hohl and Professor Betsy Stanko OBE, lead academics for the programme, discuss what that means and the opportunity it provides in the investigator's journey.
The investigator's journey
A detailed look at the investigator’s journey and how each step provides an opportunity for police to be victim-centred, suspect-focused and context-led.
What this means for victims
The model was developed in conversation with victims and organisations supporting victims to make sure that throughout the investigator's journey, victims’ rights and needs stay central to the process.
There is also an informational guide which is designed for victims of rape or a serious sexual offence to help them navigate their own journey and inform them of their rights.