Full Analysis Summary
Gaps in police policies
Lady Elish Angiolini's second phase report into the prevention of sexually motivated crimes concludes that a substantial proportion of police forces in England and Wales have still not implemented basic specialist policies for investigating sexual offences.
This failure was made stark by the 2021 abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan officer, Wayne Couzens.
The inquiry quantifies the gap at around a quarter of forces (26%).
It notes that the Metropolitan Police has since produced the required policy.
The report frames the shortfall as part of a broader national failure to prioritise prevention.
Coverage Differences
Tone and emphasis
The three sources frame the core finding similarly but with different emphasis: The Guardian (Western Mainstream) foregrounds the inquiry’s quantified finding and the Met’s later compliance, describing a “quarter” of forces lacking “basic policies for investigating sexual offences”; Express & Star (Western Tabloid) uses sharper language such as “critical failure” and stresses the immediate data shortfall (“about 26%” and that data is “difficult to obtain, patchy and incomplete”); the BBC (Western Mainstream) situates the statistic in the report’s call for a turning point and national prioritisation. Each source is reporting Angiolini’s finding rather than asserting separate facts.
Prevention system failures
Angiolini's report criticises what she calls a 'paralysis' in change: prevention work is often fragmented, short-term and underfunded, and there is weak momentum to stop people cautioned or convicted for sexual offences from joining the police.
The inquiry links these systemic failures to the inability to build robust prevention programmes and highlights that national data gaps and inconsistent local practices mean authorities cannot reliably say how many women were raped by strangers in public spaces.
The report says that combination prevents assessment of what works and allows perpetrators to 'slip through the cracks'.
Coverage Differences
Narrative emphasis / unique details
The Guardian (Western Mainstream) highlights Angiolini’s description of a “paralysis” and the report’s criticism of fragmented, underfunded prevention work and weak momentum on banning offenders; Express & Star (Western Tabloid) stresses the data problem and quotes that data on sexually motivated crimes is “difficult to obtain, patchy and incomplete,” warning that without robust data funding is hard to secure; the BBC (Western Mainstream) frames these gaps as a national priority failure and underscores the call for urgent, nationwide action to prevent predators. Each outlet is reporting the inquiry’s critique but chooses different phrases and emphases to characterise the severity.
Inquiry recommendations on preventing abuse
The inquiry sets out a clear pivot in approach: move from ad hoc safety measures and advice for women toward preventing predatory men from offending through better mapping of attacks, tougher investigations and targeted interventions.
All three sources note praise for pilot initiatives such as Project Vigilant and Operation Soteria, while the Express & Star uniquely highlights the report's recommendation to use AI to combine policing data to identify predatory men and spot offending patterns.
The BBC additionally lists programme-level recommendations such as promoting positive masculinity and even consideration of a Good Samaritan duty to require witnesses to act.
Coverage Differences
Unique recommendations / omissions
Across sources the core recommendation to prioritise perpetrators and prevention is consistent. The Guardian (Western Mainstream) emphasises the shift from “ad hoc measures (lighting, safety advice) to preventing predatory men attacking women” and praises Project Vigilant and Operation Soteria; Express & Star (Western Tabloid) uniquely reports the recommendation to use AI to combine policing data for targeted interventions; the BBC (Western Mainstream) provides a broader inventory of recommended measures including programmes on positive masculinity and a possible Good Samaritan duty. Each outlet reports Angiolini’s recommendations but selects different specific measures to highlight.
Violence against women inquiry
Angiolini warns that cultural problems such as tolerance of misogyny and anti-women content online may normalise violence against women.
She stresses that, while there are hopeful signs in specific initiatives, promised reforms have not been implemented quickly or coherently enough.
The report notes the Labour government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls in ten years but observes no strategy has yet been produced to deliver that pledge.
Sarah Everard’s mother and family feature in all accounts, with the Guardian reporting she remains tormented, the Express & Star saying Susan Everard gave a powerful statement, and the BBC recording that the family welcomed the inquiry’s conclusions.
Official responses include the NPCC saying it is reviewing the findings and the Home Secretary saying the government will carefully consider the recommendations.
Coverage Differences
Tone and source focus
The Guardian (Western Mainstream) underscores cultural drivers and slow implementation, explicitly quoting Everard’s mother as “tormented”; Express & Star (Western Tabloid) emphasises the critical data failures and notes Susan Everard’s “powerful statement” to the inquiry; the BBC (Western Mainstream) highlights institutional responses — the NPCC reviewing the findings and the Home Secretary saying the government will consider the recommendations — and that the family “welcomed the inquiry’s conclusions.” Each source reports overlapping facts but differs in tone and which reactions it foregrounds.