New police data explains why two-thirds of sexual assault cases in London did not result in charges

Of the more than 2,400 sexual assault investigations launched by London police over the last five years, only one-third ended with an offender being charged. 

New data made public ahead of the London Police Services Board meeting Thursday shows that at least 62 per cent of cases were dropped because the complainant declined to proceed with the investigation, or because there was insufficient evidence.

The data did show an increase in the number of sexual offences being reported to police, rising from 373 in 2019 to 586 in 2023. What the numbers do not show, is how many of the 813 cases police pursued in that time ended in a conviction.

London police released the case breakdown at the request of Megan Walker, a member of the police board and the former lead at the London Abused Women's Centre (LAWC).

Walker said Wednesday she was struck by the low number of cases deemed 'unfounded,' a term which denotes there is evidence the crime alleged was not attempted or committed.

Only nine cases were 'unfounded' in the last five years, a stark change Walker said, from where things once were.

In 2017, a Globe and Mail investigation found London police had categorized one-third of sexual assault cases from 2010 to 2014 — 690 out of 2,278 — as being 'unfounded," the highest rate in the country. A police review of 1,030 unfounded cases found 887 were legitimate.

"That was a real wake-up call for police across the country," Walker said. In London, it led to the Violence Against Women Advocate Case Review Program, a local panel that reviews sexual assault cases police say are unfounded. 

Walker said no cases reviewed through the panel have been sent back to police for further investigation.

Local response

LAWC is among the agencies represented on the panel, and Executive Director Jennifer Dunn said she was happy to see police had released the data, though she said they shouldn't have to asked to do so.

 "It's really important to trust that the police are doing the best that they can, with the evidence that they get, but oftentimes the evidence is mostly on the hands of the victim," Dunn said.

She said the number of cases closed because a woman didn't want to proceed is not a surprise, as the process is often long and traumatic. 

"The amount of evidence that's needed from the woman herself is extraordinary. And it's unbelievably traumatizing, and it takes such a long time to go through the criminal justice system," Dunn said. 

Sixty cases in the police data were listed as 'other,' meaning no charges were laid for less common reasons like the suspect died or was under the age of 12.

At least 48 cases are active, including 13 from 2019 and 30 from 2023.

The London Police Services Board is expected to receive the report at its meeting on Thursday,