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A radical overhaul of the way sexual offences are investigated has more than doubled the number of suspected offenders brought to court, a police force said.

Durham Police was one of four forces nationwide to take part in a trial, Operation Soteria, which involved a "more victim-focused approach".

Innovations included specialist training and bringing together officers and prosecutors with academics in the use of evidence.

As a result, in 2023, 103 suspects were charged with rape and 89 with sexual assault.

The specialist training, undertaken by the force's 300 detectives included "myth-busting" with a survivor of rape sharing her experiences of the criminal justice system.

The aim was to send out a clear message to victims that they were "believed", the force said.

'Deliver justice'

The scheme also involved giving investigators time to deal with rape and serious sexual assault cases to ensure they properly managed their workload.

Det Ch Supt Nicola Lawrence, the force's head of crime, said: "Operation Soteria has allowed us to take an open and honest look at the way we work within our own organisation, how we work with partner agencies and how we can improve our investigation of sexual offences.

“Survivors of sexual offences can have confidence that if they come forward to report to the police, we will believe them and they will be treated seriously and sensitively."

She added that there was still work to be done but she hoped to bring about "lasting improvements" to deliver justice for victims.

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